The Curse of the Northwests
by anonymous025
Summary: Mabel and Dipper return to Gravity Falls, and it seems that everything is the same as how they left it. However, Gravity Falls' mysterious nature comes back into play when Pacifica asks Dipper for help.
1. Return to Gravity Falls

It has been a year since the Pines twins had visited Gravity Falls, Oregon. Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford had concluded their voyage around the world and had returned to the Mystery Shack for the Pines twins' annual summer trip.

"Ah, it's good to be back!" said Grunkle Stan, stepping off the bus, followed by Dipper, Mabel, and Grunkle Ford.

"It feels like forever since we've been here," exclaimed Mabel, dragging Waddles out onto the street with her suitcase.

"Come on Mabel, it's only been a year." said Dipper.

The reunited group took their time walking through town and appreciating the familiar surroundings.

Soon after, they found themselves at the instantly recognizable cabin in the woods, known as _The Mystery Shack_. Grunkle Stan walked up the front porch and opened the door.

"Come on in dudes, welcome to the Mystery Shack! Oh hey Mr. Pines- wait"

Soos was caught off guard for a second, as the familiar faces registered with him, and he opened his arms - "I'm so glad to see you dudes again!".

Everyone gasped for air as the familiar figure of Grunkle Stan's successor hugged them.

"Glad to see the shack isn't burned to the ground." grumbled Grunkle Stan.

"Hello Soos, I'm glad to see you're doing well," Grunkle Ford said as he tried to free himself Soos' grasp.

Mabel and Dipper were especially glad to see their old friend, and they quietly hugged him tightly.

* * *

As the day gave way to evening, Dipper and Mabel arranged their possessions in the familiar room they spent a large portion of their prior summer.

As Dipper started falling asleep, Mabel asked "Psst Dipper! Are you excited to meet all of our old friends tomorrow?" "Of course I am! I wonder if Wendy will want her hat back though." replied Dipper. "Haha of course you'd think of Wendy first!" teased Mabel. "Still haven't gotten over her, after an entire year?" "What? Of course I have. I...just she shared a lot of our adventures, so I thought of her first. Besides, I'm like half asleep." mumbled Dipper, half annoyed and half embarrassed. "Anyways, good night Mabel." "Good night Dipper..." whispered Mabel, plunging into a dream of meeting her friends from what was almost a lifetime ago.

Dipper on the other hand, now lay awake, his mind thinking of all the things that had happened during their last visit. Sure, once Bill Cipher had been defeated, everything went back to normal...in a way. Yet, nothing was the same anymore. Grunkle Stan didn't run the Mystery Shack anymore, Wendy no longer worked there as she had to go to high school, the Northwests lost their fortune and their home, old man McGucket became rich overnight, and Gideon stopped being bent on destroying the world. Everything had gone back to normal, yet nothing was normal anymore.

Dipper spent some time pondering this before he eventually fell asleep.

* * *

That night, Dipper had a nightmare that brought him back to the reign of terror the town had suffered under Bill Cipher. No bare spot of the town had been left untouched, and the Mystery Shack lay in ruins. Just as Bill was about to shake Dipper's hand, he awoke.

"It's a deal!" rang Bill's voice.

It was a nice and sunny day, and the twins wanted to find their friends and catch up with recent events. Their first stop was Wendy's house. Dipper and Mabel knocked softly on Wendy's front door. The door slid open, as a familiar face appeared.

"Hey guys, what's up? Visiting for the summer?" came the ever-recognizable voice of Wendy Corduroy. She bent down for a group hug as the twins embraced her: "We sure are Wendy, we're so glad to see you!" gushed Dipper, as his sister giggled at her brother's reaction.

Wendy smiled, reminded of the good times they enjoyed. "Hey, did you guys ever figure out what was down in Ford's laboratory in the woods?" she asked. "Come to think of it, we never asked Grunkle Ford" Mabel responded, shrugging. "I'm sure it's nothing important if he never told us about it. Let's go find more of our friends!"

With Wendy in tow, the old group of friends started walking down the street as they bumped into Soos, walking out of the arcade: "Oh hey dudes, guess what? Mr. Pines said he'd take over the Mystery Shack for the summer! He said something about missing the customers." "Wow Soos, that's great!" said Dipper. "Want to join us on a walk around town?" "Sure, beats playing the same arcade machine" replied Soos, munching on his bag of potato chips.

With Soos added to their group, the reunited friends wandered down the streets of Gravity Falls, waving to Sherriff Blubs and Deputy Durland, poking fun at Thompson, and chatting with Mayor Tyler.

As the day faded into evening, one of the few people that the Mabel and Dipper forgot about decided to pay them a visit.

"Hey Dipper, don't miss the new season of Duck-tective!" called out Mabel, snagging a seat at the TV. "I'll be there soon!" Dipper yelled back, sitting upstairs in their room, studying the second journal. _"Maybe there's something important in here about the lab in the woods…_" Dipper thought to himself.

Suddenly, Dipper heard someone knocking softly at the door. "_Mabel must be too focused on the TV, so I guess I'll have to answer it_" Dipper mumbled to himself, as he walked up to the door and pried it open.

In front of him, stood Pacifica Northwest, dressed in her normal attire – boots, light purple skirt, and dark purple jacket.

"Hey, can we talk?" asked Pacifica, clearly on edge. Dipper nodded, and quietly stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind him: "Hey Pacifica, you seem…more nervous than usual." "Never mind all that, I've been waiting for you guys to return all year!" replied Pacifica with a small smile. "There's definitely something wrong if you're out here at the Mystery Shack _just_ to pay us a visit" pondered Dipper. Pacifica's smile faded as she admitted: "You're right as usual…how about we visit my home before I tell you the full details. Besides, it'll be a long walk." "Relax, I can borrow a golf cart from the Shack's supplies." Dipper responded. "It beats walking in the dark."

The two reunited former foes made their way to the Mystery Shack's golf cart lot and started making their way through the darkness to the new home of the Northwest family.

"Ever since Bill ruined our family, we've had to move into a smaller two-story home and lay off a large portion of our staff." admitted Pacifica, gloomily. "We now only have a few servants, and no chauffeur to drive my father's limo."

"Wow, huge deal. We still have to take the bus if we want to get anywhere, and if we want anything done, it's easier to just do it ourselves." responded Dipper with a sense of fake sympathy.

"Alright listen here dork, if you thought it was easy for me to slip away from my parents just to see you, you're dead wrong! Ever since the party last year, my parents have heavily resented you. Even saving the world did nothing to redeem you in their eyes! If they knew I was out here talking with you - ". Pacifica's charged response was all too familiar, and Dipper suddenly interrupted:

"Then why are you talking to me? If I'm so heavily despised by your parents, the last thing you would want to do is bring me to them! It's not like I'm their biggest fan either."

Pacifica took a deep sigh and launched into a big story: "Alright well, you see…the only lifestyle my parents ever understood was being better than everyone. It's not one I fully agree with, but it's hard to change someone's life when you're at their age. My father has fallen sick and is worried about my mother leaving him…"

She took a pause and trembled before continuing: "…you're the only one I would trust with resolving family issues. Now that our family doesn't have as much money, no one from my father's former friendship circle cares. You're only as important as the amount of money you have."

Dipper took a moment to process the onslaught of new information Pacifica shared with him. On one hand, he felt grateful that Pacifica wanted to share this with him, but on the other hand, he wasn't sure how he could help. His family was never rich, and never wished to be. His specialty was anomalies, not relationships. But looking into Pacifica's tired, worried eyes, he couldn't find himself disappointing her.


	2. Northwest Disgrace

The sunset gave way to an evening rainstorm. Driving through the town, light fog descended. The two teenagers made their way through the main street of Gravity Falls to the outskirts, to find a two-story home. While still superior to the Mystery Shack, the wooden and brick house lacked the grandeur and beauty of the former Northwest Manor. With no gate to keep anyone out, there was a simple driveway, with the recognizable black limousine sitting under a tarp, parked in front of a garage door. As the rain picked up, they entered the cold and empty house.

"Okay, so my father's in the next room. It will ease his nerves if you put this on –" Pacifica reached into a drawer and fetched the tuxedo Dipper had worn during his last visit to the Manor. "Oh great, this again. Old habits die hard, huh?" Dipper complained. "Oh come on, it's better than anything you've got." replied Pacifica, suppressing a snicker. Dipper reluctantly complied, eager to finish whatever task lay in front of him.

Thunder struck outside, while Dipper gathered his courage to speak with the man he retaliated against once before. Last he saw, Mr. Preston Northwest was a man who believed in nothing short of the greatness of the Northwest name. The most important thing to him was upkeeping that one word – "Northwest". Anything that got in his way would be eliminated.

Time has not been kind to Mr. Northwest. As Dipper and Pacifica entered his room, his character was revealed. His formerly dark gray hair had whitened significantly, and his skin was covered in wrinkles. He sat in a reclined chair next to a lit fireplace, gazing into the distance. Pacifica cleared her throat:

"Khem…father, I hope you don't mind me interrupting. I brought someone who might be able to help."

Mr. Northwest turned his head, and his eyes narrowed. "Oh look who's back. It's 'mystery boy', the one who 'saved the town'. Do you really think I'd forgive you for what you've done? You ruined our family! Everything I ever had…it's now gone." Pacifica put up her hands – "Dad, just give him a chance!"

"Pacifica leave the room. I'll have a…private chat with this boy." ordered Mr. Northwest.

Pacifica relented, and left the room, leaving Dipper alone with Mr. Northwest.

"Now…why don't you tell me why you've decided to come back here." Mr. Northwest beckoned Dipper to sit down in the chair across from him.

"Mr. Northwest, I'd like to help." disclosed Dipper. "I don't know what's going on, but I'd do anything for my friends, and – "

Mr. Northwest sighed. "You're always looking for answers. The newspaper constantly writes about you, even when you're not even in Gravity Falls. It's as if your name is more powerful than mine…The last mention of us was when whoever the homeless guy was bought my old estate. Since then?" – Mr. Northwest took a deep breath – "Since then, nothing! No one asked: 'how's Preston Northwest?' The man who hosted several parties for the richest of folk! Where's the gratitude? Where's the recognition? The respect?"

Mr. Northwest's face grew gray, as he recounted the wrongs against him. Dipper was taken aback, but quickly shot back: "Well…it's funny that you mention it, but I know of someone else who doesn't get much gratitude or recognition…"

"Oh, don't play games with me boy, what are you saying?" exclaimed Mr. Northwest, exasperated.

"I mean to say, here you are complaining about how no one talks about you anymore, when you barely give any attention to your own daughter," replied Dipper candidly. "If you think you have it bad, you're far from the only one."

"If I had any strength left, I'd kick you out of my house myself, but seeing as I'm weakened, I'll pretend I didn't hear that." glowered Mr. Northwest. "If you think your family is so great, why don't you just take Pacifica for the week? See if your family can do better than I can."

"Woah, I didn't mean it that way! Pacifica asked me to help fix your family, not ruin it!" protested Dipper.

"It's a bit too late for that" replied Mr. Northwest ominously. "I think that's enough for now. Run along now, I have stuff to attend to."

Mr. Northwest stood up and left the room. Dipper found himself alone, in a room with no lighting besides the fading campfire. Several paintings hung on the walls, yet the faces of those paintings showed no comforting emotion. Left with no choice, Dipper found himself in the main corridor of the two-story house, with the hallway extending away from him.

The storm outside worsened. Hundreds of water droplets attacked the ground, as if with a vengeance. Dipper started to wonder where Pacifica was, when lightning struck, and illuminated the end of the hallway for a brief moment.

A damsel in distress, Pacifica was leaning on the windowsill, looking down. The outside storm reflected on her face, as she wiped her eyes with her hand, her blonde hair abnormally undone, and her purple dress wrinkled. As Dipper moved in her direction, he could hear Pacifica's soft sobs, and her eyes were watery. He grew closer, unsure of how to approach her, when she turned around and hugged him.


	3. Loneliness

For a second, Dipper felt himself weaken, but before he knew it, the moment passed. Pacifica pulled herself back and sat down on the floor. Her cheeks blushed, but hoped that in the dark, Dipper wouldn't notice. After a moment, Dipper joined her on the floor. The two looked at each other for a moment, in mutual understanding.

"I'm sorry Dipper. It's just been so long since I've talked to anyone besides my parents…ever since what happened, I've lost all my friends. My old friends stopped talking to me and now just scowl and look away when they see me, and since I've always looked down on everyone else, now everyone looks down on me…"

Pacifica was vulnerable, like the moment when Dipper stood up to Mr. Northwest about the curse on Northwest Manor. Dipper managed a small grin.

"Hey, I'm glad to be your friend. Even if you had no money and lived on the streets, I'd still be here for you."

Pacifica raised her head.

"You really mean it?"

Dipper nodded.

"Of course! That's what friends are for, after all."

Pacifica looked away. All her life, her friends only stuck with her because of her status. They never truly had a positive relationship, looking back now. Her mind started wandering to the last year, once school had started.

* * *

With the departure of the Pines twins from Gravity Falls, Pacifica found herself in a bleak world. With her family's private and rich life dissolved, she was faced with the aftermath of not having any of her former friendships left intact, and none of her former luxuries left, she had reached the lowest point of her life.

Her parents became cold and distant since the night she disobeyed them to break the curse. Despite the reunion after the events of Weirdmageddon, her parents became more distant. The first night since the departure of Dipper and Mabel, Pacifica lay in her new room, in a house different from the one she spent all her life in, alone. Her mind searched for answers, answers she didn't know she wanted.

"You're not like the other Northwests…"

* * *

Sitting next to Dipper, Pacifica felt strange – on one hand, all her life, she was taught that people of lower class have no right to be her friends; but on the other, Dipper was sitting next to her, wearing a black suit and bow tie, with a white collared shirt, trying his best to help her.

Pacifica slowly stood up, with Dipper following suit. "Let's go, it's getting late. Thanks for coming with me Dipper, you have no idea what that meant to me."

Dipper hesitated. Leaving Pacifica in a cold and empty house, all by herself, after seeing how she felt?

"How about you stay with my family at the Mystery Shack for the night? It might not be as comfortable as here, but at least we'd be able to keep you company."

Pacifica froze for a second. She thought of how Dipper and Mabel left last summer, leaving her life dark and miserable. Though her father would mind…wouldn't he? She glanced down the hallway but saw only darkness. As much as she feared being left behind by her friends at the end of the summer, the mental image of her father flooded her thoughts.

"I'm afraid I can't. I'm scared that my father won't approve. Besides, I can't leave him alone as he is now." replied Pacifica, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"It's alright, I understand. Well in any case, I hope you stay safe Pacifica." Dipper concealed his disappointment, but knew that with the precarious situation, he should be careful. He couldn't trust Mr. Northwest to stand by his words, and he didn't want to pressure Pacifica into anything. Dipper quietly waved, and left without another word, still wearing the tuxedo.

As Dipper walked back down the driveway, Pacifica watched from the windowsill, trying to make sense of her feelings. Loneliness, fright, and sadness filled her mind. It was going to be yet another sleepless night.

* * *

Dipper drove his golf cart back to the Mystery Shack. Strong winds and heavy rain drenched him, but his mind was focused on something else. As he returned home, he noticed he forgot to return the tuxedo he borrowed. "_I'll just return it tomorrow; I'll be returning back there anyway._" figured Dipper. The clock struck midnight as he walked through the front door, to find the lights all off, and no one on the first floor. He quietly made his way upstairs to their bedroom.

Walking into their bedroom, Dipper found Mabel fast asleep, with Waddles sitting on the floor. As Dipper approached, Waddles stood up and licked his hand. "_At least someone greets me when I get home._" thought Dipper, changing into his pajamas. He climbed into his bed and turned off the lights.

The image of Pacifica's summer reminded Dipper of his own year away from Gravity Falls, at middle school. He tossed and turned but found it hard to get a good night's rest.

* * *

Mr. Northwest sat in a padded chair, legs folded, drinking a cup of tea. He watched Dipper vanish into the storm, as he took another sip. As the clock struck midnight, he stood up, and approached a painting hanging on the wall. He glanced to the side, then swung the painting to the side to reveal a secret room. He made his way inside, the painting swinging shut behind him.

* * *

Dipper opened his eyes, only to find himself at the bus stop, on the outskirts of Gravity Falls. He looked around, but not a soul was in sight. He walked into the main town, only to find emptiness. No one was in the diner, no one in the mall. He made his way to the Mystery Shack, only to find the house cold and empty. As night fell, he wandered through the town. The streetlights sparked to life, revealing only the cold emptiness. As Dipper walked past a store front, his heart jumped as he saw his reflection move in the window. He awoke.

* * *

The morning sun shined through the gaps between the clouds, landing on a fallen boy covered in cold sweat. Mabel stretched her arms, and looked to the bed beside her, only to find that Dipper was lying on the floor, wrapped in his blanket. It seemed almost comical to her, so she started laughing.

Dipper woke up to the sound of Mabel laughing at him, with Waddles trapped under his blanket. He frowned as he wiped his eyes, and stood up, sticky with sweat.

"Not funny Mabel," groaned Dipper. "Imagine having frequent nightmares about the end of the world."

"Did someone say nightmares?" a voice called out, as a six fingered man poked his head through the doorway. Grunkle Ford was no stranger to nightmares.

"Dipper fell of his bed and slept on the floor!" called out Mabel, pointing a finger at Dipper, with a smile on her face.

Grunkle Ford put his hand on Dipper's shoulder: "Don't let it get to you Dipper. Nightmares are often painful, but they can't hurt you physically at least. Give it some time, you'll grow used to it."

Not quite the answer Dipper wished to hear, but he found comfort in Grunkle Ford's advice. After getting dressed, he joined Soos and Grunkle Stan in the kitchen for breakfast.


	4. Back to The Past

While Dipper was eating breakfast, Mabel went upstairs to check her backpack. On the drawer in between their beds, she saw the suit that Dipper forgot to return. She turned it over and spotted an "NW" insignia on the collar. "_Hmm, something tells me Dipper wasn't home last night for a reason._" thought Mabel to herself. Just then, someone knocked at the door.

Mabel opened the door to see Pacifica Northwest, anxious but recognizable. She noticed Mabel, and her expression changed.

"Oh, hey Mabel, long time no see" she said, in a weary tone. In her mind, she remembered the text exchange between her and Mabel during a past incident.

"Hi Pacifica, what are you doing here?" asked Mabel innocently, despite already guessing at the answer.

"Just wanted to talk to Dipper for a bit, he had some important information for me" lied Pacifica, trying to get Mabel out of her business.

"Dipper's busy at the moment, though I'm here!" exclaimed Mabel.

Pacifica sighed: "Why don't we go for a walk while Dipper finishes up then? Might as well clear some things up for you."

"Like why your suit is on Dipper's nightstand?"

Mabel grinned, knowing she caught Pacifica off guard.

Pacifica froze, then grabbed Mabel and shut the door.

* * *

Dipper had finished eating, and, unaware of Pacifica's visit, began contemplating what to do. He reached into his backpack, and felt something…cold, and rectangular…

He pulled out the time traveling tape measure, left from his and Mabel's escape from the time police when Blendin challenged them to Globnar.

"_Wow, I completely forgot I still had this. Kind of surprised no one's noticed or arrested me yet._" he thought. Instinctively, he pulled tape measure to travel back, and found himself warping through time to one hundred sixty years ago.

Dipper stood up and found himself standing in the middle of a forest. As he looked around, he saw a dirt road leading into the center of Gravity Falls, looking eerily resembling Pioneer Day. As he walked down the road, he saw a man with gray hair and a long beard walking down the street resembling the statue of the supposed founder of Gravity Falls.

"_Ha, only one person that could be…time to find out who Nathaniel Northwest really was_" thought Dipper, as he started following behind.

The man walked quickly through the town center, avoiding eye contact. Townsfolk stiffened around him and gave him a wide path. As he rounded a corner, Dipper rushed to keep pace with him. Nathaniel Northwest walked deep into the forest, into a shallow cave. Dipper watched from a distance as Nathaniel Northwest traced his fingers over ancient symbols drawn on the cave side and read aloud an incantation.

Within seconds, the sky turned gray, and a yellow triangle spawned.

"Ah Gravity Falls, my future home! Watcha up to Nathaniel?" echoed the voice of Bill Cipher.

Nathaniel Northwest grimaced and replied: "How do you know my name? What are you?"

Bill Cipher grinned: "I know everything. Everything there is to know!"

His laughter filled the cave.

Nathaniel Northwest regathered himself and spoke again: "I want to become rich, and I think you can help me."

"Of course I can help, I can do anything…_anything_" said Bill Cipher, smiling. "You want to become rich? In return you can do a couple things for me, and you'll be the richest man this side of the globe! Whadya say?"

Nathaniel Northwest reached out to Bill Cipher's glowing hand, as the yellow demon worked his magic.

* * *

Pacifica dragged Mabel to the front porch, and retorted: "Dipper was just borrowing that suit because I needed his help. It has no relation to whatever romance you're _imagining_! I'd never fall in love with such a dork anyway."

Mabel giggled at Pacifica's outburst. "Oh come on, I still remember that time you texted me about hugging Dipper! You didn't think I would forget _that_ easily? You love him! You love him you love him you love him!" she teased.

Pacifica sighed before retorting: "Hey look, a hug doesn't mean anything! You hug your pig like every day!"

"Waddles is different, if I hugged a boy, you'd think I was in love with him too!"

"Ugh, you still don't get it!"

"Face it Pacifica, you're in love with Dipper. You can deny it all you want, but I can see it, and I will use my matchmaking powers to make it happen!"

"Look, let me explain. You think I have it easy? You haven't known my parents for long enough. You have your brother by your side, no matter what you do! No matter how many times you screw up, he always has your back. My parents would never do that. But Dipper…he's different."

"Different how?"

"When I used to be younger, I was kind of like you. I always looked on the bright side of things and was also a little silly. Not quite as annoying as you are, but I never had a brother to keep me in check. Instead, my parents ironed out any silliness I had in me and turned me into what I am now."

"Didn't you have any friends?"

"Not like your friends. Their idea of a good time was making fun of lower status people, just like you and your friends."

Mabel didn't understand the full scope of Pacifica's background, but she sensed that there was more to Pacifica's past than she originally knew. Still, the image of Pacifica and Dipper together just seemed to craft itself in Mabel's head.

"So, you're telling me that you're just friends with Dipper, and that hug and whatever happened yesterday was all just friendship stuff?"

"Yes, that's what I've been trying to tell you for the last thirty minutes!"

"So then, what did you do yesterday?"

Their conversation was interrupted by Grunkle Ford opening the front door, who seemed to be preoccupied.

"Hey, have you girls seen Dipper around? I needed his assistance with a new invention I've been working on, and I haven't been able to find him anywhere."


	5. Lost

The boy in question was still in the past, taking in the scene that unfolded in front of him. Nathaniel Northwest had made a deal with the devil and sparked the legacy of the Northwests.

"_This can't be happening. Why would Bill even make a deal with Nathaniel if he had nothing to gain? I don't understand!_" thought Dipper to himself. "_I have an idea! If I travel to when Nathaniel Northwest dies, I can ask all the questions I need to, and it won't change anything...hopefully._"

Dipper once again pulled out the tape measure and pulled back on it to travel through time. His surroundings warped in a seemingly endless cycle, until everything suddenly stopped. While time passed, the scene remained largely familiar, with the same cave and inscriptions drawn on the walls. An old man with faded gray hair stood near the walls, with a large brush in hand.

"_Wait, Nathaniel is here still? If he's dying today, I expected him to be literally anywhere else! Something must be wrong here…wait, what is he doing?_"

With the brush in his hand, Nathaniel Northwest inscribed a warning on the wall, recommending against attempting to summon the ancient creature commonly known as Bill Cipher. Dipper got up from his hiding spot and started towards the old man.

* * *

Mabel and Stanford Pines searched the house for Mabel's twin brother, but with no results. He was nowhere to be seen, and no clues to his whereabouts. The day approached the halfway point, with no sign of Dipper Pines anywhere.

Pacifica Northwest quietly left the Mystery Shack, hoping to avoid telling Mabel any more than what she already knew. However, the conversation between her and Mabel left an impression, as Pacifica mulled over what happened. She slowly walked home, lost in her purpose in life. As she approached the town diner, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a quick burst of light.

She turned around in time to see Dipper fall on to the ground. He was bruised and covered in dirt. His orange shirt was torn, and Wendy's woolen hat sat crooked on his head. As he picked himself up, he coughed into his hand.

"Woah, what happened to you?" asked Pacifica.

Dipper looked up, to see a pretty girl with golden hair and lavish purple dress. It took a second for his head to wrap around the sight in front of his eyes to realize who it was.

"Um…I mean, what?" stuttered Dipper.

"Nothing, just wanted to know what you were doing out here, your whole family is looking for you." replied Pacifica, altering her previous question. Her mind couldn't force itself to reach out to Dipper on a more personal level and fell back to what Pacifica always relied on: not caring about anyone besides herself.

"Oh yeah, I…uh kinda lost track of time, I don't even know what time it is right now. I'd…better get going." answered Dipper. He brushed off the dirt from his shorts and started hastily walking off in a direction completely opposite to the Mystery Shack, leaving Pacifica behind.

Pacifica's faded as Dipper left her sight, and she wondered to herself why she was always left fascinated by the Pines twins. However, her mind quickly shifted to a bigger concern, as her father had grown rather eccentric, and as she entered her home, was unable to spot him anywhere.

* * *

Grunkle Ford and Mabel sat down in the living room, still with no sign of Dipper. Grunkle Stan walked in, wearing his normal work attire of a suit and bow tie.

"Hey, why the long faces? You two look like you lost the darn pig again or something." joked Grunkle Stan as he started cooking up lunch.

"Stanley, you haven't seen Dipper, have you? We haven't seen him since breakfast this morning." asked Grunkle Ford.

"Nah, though the kid's probably around here somewhere."

With Grunkle Stan's nonchalant manner, Grunkle Ford relented.

"Alright, I guess I'll wait until evening then before getting concerned."

Mabel however, was not so sure that Dipper was going to return. She decided to go to the one place that she knew Dipper had been to recently: Pacifica's house.

Since Mabel didn't know where the Northwests moved to, she consulted with someone she knew she could trust.

Wendy answered the door to find Mabel standing in the doorway: "Oh hey Mabel, back so soon?"

"Hi Wendy! Have you seen my brother anywhere? He's been gone since this morning." Mabel said, in a cheerful tone as if nothing was awry.

"Dipper? Hmm…haven't seen him since you two came by a few days ago."

"Guess I'll keep looking. By the way, do you know where the Northwests live now? I have something of theirs I wanted to return…"

Mabel was referring to the suit Dipper borrowed, but of course that was not the only reason she wanted to pay them a visit. Wendy gladly pointed out the direction to follow but cautioned that the Northwests didn't like unexpected visitors.

Briskly walking to the new home of the formerly rich Northwest family, Mabel couldn't help but smile, remembering how Pacifica taunted her appearance and friends. However, she still wanted to get to the bottom of where Dipper was, so with his borrowed suit in hand, she knocked on the door.

Instead of a butler answering, the door swung open to reveal Pacifica Northwest.

"Oh, you decided to bring back the suit Dipper borrowed. I was wondering why you came." Pacifica spoke critically.

"Ha! You wish. I know Dipper's here somewhere! That's the reason why you quietly left when Grunkle Ford came, isn't it?" exclaimed Mabel, with a hint of arrogance.

"What? Why did you think he would be here? Because he isn't." Pacifica was caught off guard by Mabel's faulty assumption that Dipper was with her.

"That's what I thou- wait, you mean he's not here?"

"Yes, that's what I just said!"

"Oh…well have you seen him at least?"

Pacifica hesitated, but she didn't want Mabel to jump to any more conclusions.

"No, haven't seen him since yesterday. Now, I really need to get going."

She abruptly ended the conversation and swung the door closed.

"_Well that was unexpected. I thought for sure that Dipper would be with Pacifica…and she acted a bit strange, but if Dipper was there, I would've at least seen him._"

The trail had gone cold, and Mabel saw no other options besides going home and waiting for Dipper to return.


	6. Doubts

The sound of the rain echoed through Pacifica's hollow room, as she stared at the ceiling. Her room still seemed foreign, even though it's almost been a year since the events of that fateful summer ended the life she's known. The rain picked up, water obscuring the window into her room. The occasional strike of thunder cast a temporary shadow in the room, further unnerving the teen girl, who crawled further beneath the sheets. Somewhere in the house, a clock struck the current hour, almost ominously. Pacifica tried to disconnect herself from her surroundings and drift to sleep, but a part of her mind was concentrating on reflecting on the day. She felt cold and alone, and she imagined what it would be like if she had a real family.

The sound of the wind howling eventually stopped having an effect on her, but her mind stayed focused, focused on how Mabel came to check on Dipper. Was it normal for siblings to care about each other? Not that she would know. Her parents never showed her much affection. She thought about how she lied to Mabel about seeing Dipper. Pacifica felt her heart sink. The boy was just another visitor of Gravity Falls, who just happened to be related to Mabel, someone Pacifica still didn't quite like. Yet his willingness to help…no, his _character_… something about him just appealed to her. Finally, her mind slowed down to a crawl, and she lapsed into sleep.

* * *

It was late in the evening, and still no sign of Dipper in the household of the Mystery Shack. Grunkle Stan groaned as he finally had to face the possibility of the kid being in danger. "I'm telling you, he's probably just in the woods, studying the art of being a nerd, and lost track of time," he said, unwilling to accept reality.

"Dipper hasn't been seen since this morning, and you think everything is fine? Where is your sense of responsibility Stanley?" Stanford Pines sounded exasperated, as he searched for a flashlight.

"Alright, alright, easy on the old man. I'll help look him, eesh."

Mabel bounced down the stairs, eager to help.

"Let's go find him! Should I bring Waddles?"

Both men looked at her, their faces clear:

"Oh no you're not. You're not going outside just to get lost like your brother. Now get to bed before I tie you to your bed," charged Grunkle Stan. His low mood was nothing to be messed with, and his intentions made it clear he meant it. Grunkle Ford also started at Mabel with a warning glance.

Mabel looked like she was going to put up a fight, but after staring at both her great uncles for what seemed like a good minute, she relented. "Fine, but if you're not going to let me look for my own brother, you better not come back until you find him!"

The two men nodded to each other, Grunkle Ford donned an army green leather jacket as Grunkle Stan wrapped himself in a scarf, and both disappeared into the wet night. Mabel watched as their figures were drenched and abused by the winds, vanishing from sight. Her eyes gravitated to the horizon, hoping to see the familiar face of her twin, but no such luck. His absence weighed her down, and eventually she succumbed to the night's temptations.

* * *

The morning sun broke through the gray pasture of clouds, casting its light on a brown-haired girl slumped against the window glass. She slowly came to life, as if from hibernation. The sound of silence unnerved her, as neither of her great uncles had returned since they had last went searching for him. Mabel's normally upbeat energy was noticeably absent, as she tried to piece herself together to face the day. Even her best friend and companion, trusty Waddles, seemed almost foreign, contrasted with the loss of her twin self. It's like a portion of _herself_ was missing.

Morning came to pass, with not a single sign of anyone she knew. It's like reality was caving into darkness and despair around her. Mabel found herself flipping through her scrapbook, holding on to every single memory she could find with Dipper. That time when they visited the petting zoo…or when Dipper and Waddles teamed up to build nerd stuff… Mabel shut her eyes tight as she embraced Waddles. It was all too real.

* * *

In another part of town, the youngest Northwest lay asleep, lost in her feelings. A boy once told her, that the "real" her was better than her "cover" … but what was the difference? She had no friends either way, and the only life she's known how to live is what she's been taught. Seeing Dipper again resurfaced a lot of doubts. She's tried to fit in for the last year, but it's not easy to change yourself.

The alarm rang, there was no delaying it. Pacifica felt like she was rising from the dead; every bone ached. Getting up in the mornings wasn't a habit; it was torture. Waking up from a peaceful disconnect from what had become her new 'normal' life. Her blue eyes looked swollen, and her hair an untidy mess. Just like every morning.

At least breakfast wasn't a terrible part of the morning routine, more of a side effect. Pacifica sat down and tried to look on the bright side of what the day would be, but there wasn't much of one. She heard the door open, and her father turned away two men. She glanced out the window, and saw two old men, probably in their late sixties, slumped forward making their way down the road. Her father walked into the room, visibly concerned.

"The nerve of Pines family, thinking their kid would be lost in my house," he grumbled.

Pacifica's heart dropped. She didn't know why but hearing that Dipper had not returned blurred her thoughts and clouded her soul. Was it all because she didn't tell Mabel the truth? Or was it that she couldn't build up the courage to _change_ and just openly care about others? Even breakfast was now ruined.

Having finished breakfast, Pacifica took a moment to sit down and think. She's had to think about more and more things recently. Before, all the really important decisions were already made for her. Now, the cloud of wealth had dissolved, leaving behind a lot of questions with no answers. Sure, her family wasn't poor. But by no means had the events of the last summer gone unnoticed. There was a rift formed between her parents, and she was left on the sidelines. If anything, it has left her lonelier than ever. Dipper had proven to be the best friend she could've relied on, having no ulterior motives and able to keep a secret for as long as his life depends on it. As of late, he's also been quite a bit more handsome too…or was that just a result of not seeing him for an entire year? It seemed ages ago, yet the thought of the end of the world still brought shivers to her spine.

She had to get out of the house. Spending too much time sitting in one place, thinking about the past, felt suffocating. The young blonde found herself walking out through the woods. The familiar trail led down the path she'd known all her life, yet now she felt resentment towards it. Ahead of her, the familiar rooftops of the former Northwest Mansion stood tall, now under different ownership. Despite how much Pacifica didn't miss her old life, this was the place where she first recognized that she could be different. She saved everyone from a fate of being solid wood, with the price being her parents' trust in her. It didn't seem like an easy choice to make then, and even in retrospect it was hard to justify. Anyone else would've said "screw the consequences" and pulled the lever without a single doubt. Pacifica still had doubts, ones she has tried to resolve, time after time.

The closer she walked towards the gates, the more her doubts ate away at her. Cold sweat formed, and she found herself shivering. Maybe she shouldn't have come. Today was not a good day for resolving doubts, just like every day. Only today was even a bit gloomier, for some reason. She took one more glance at the place she called home for years, and with a longing glance, looked at the blank windows of the building. She would never admit to it, but in an odd sense, her adventure with Dipper was actually quite the thrill. Sure, she nearly died and had to be rescued by a dork with a book for a weapon. But at the end of the day, she wouldn't mind doing it all again…

Her mind filled in the blanks, the mansion used to look so tidy and full of life. There was barely any privacy, with the amount of staff needed to uphold the dignity and pride of the Northwests. Yet, none of the butlers or cooks or maids seemed to have personalities, merely just drones performing their duties. In a way, so was she. Just like the servants, she was accustomed to hearing and reacting to the familiar ring of a golden bell. The one person she ever saw stand up to her father, Dipper Pines, had been missing, seemingly since she last saw him. She could almost hear his voice, familiar, confident, all knowing… It really hurt, since a part of her really did want him to stay at the party, even if he didn't seem to understand her hints.


	7. Faded

The evening shifts are always the worst. Pacifica struggles to juggle several orders, as it seems the entirety of the town decided to visit Greasy's Diner for the "food" advertised in their "We have food" slogan. One consolation is that it kept her mind busy, trying to keep everyone's orders straight. However, her back was tired, and her hair smelled of old people and ketchup. Of course, she's gotten used to the uniform by now, but that didn't change the fact that it wasn't great.

Two old men entered, both looking like each other. It seemed they had a long day. One of them was Stan Pines, the other looked like a neater, smarter look alike. Both looked exhausted, dejected. Like as if it was someone's funeral. Stanley's face was grave, his clothes looked dirty and crumpled, and his shoes coated with mud. His twin brother, Stanford, looked no better. They didn't say a word to each other, just resigned to stare out into the window. After drinking some coffee, they left as suddenly as they arrived. Their efforts yielded nothing but disappointment, disappointment they would have to share with Mabel Pines.

Pacifica's shift came to an end, and she signed her timecard before slipping out the front door. Her nails were coated in dirt and crumbs, and her blonde hair was tainted. The fire in her eyes she once had – one of determination, was now absent. No one was there to pick her up, her journey home would be a lonely and cold one. She pulled her coat up further, hoping to keep the wind from blowing her cover away. Her cover used to shield her insecurities, and now it shielded her deepest emotions. Emotions that had no outlet, building up inside, dissolving her soul.

The young girl was walking past the town outskirts, when she slipped and fell. At first, she didn't feel anything. Then, she rubbed her knee and saw her hand coated red. She didn't feel pain, but it was the last straw that broke her resolve. A tear formed in her eyes and rolled down her soft cheek. She felt her makeup start to fade and spread across her face – something she wouldn't dare allow under normal circumstances – but now it felt so meaningless.

Such a small thing. All that happened was she slipped. And yet, the small things are the ones that matter. A series of small events leading up to the darkest day. How did she let it come to this? Her pride, her dignity, and her reputation meant nothing anymore. Everything was meaningless. Pacifica's blue eyes were wet and heavy, as she folded her knees to her chest. Thoughts running wildly through her head.

Before she could put herself together, a familiar figure emerged. A friendly hand reached out to her, grabbing her shoulder. "Pacifica, are you okay? What happened?" a voice asked. Pacifica rubbed her eyes briefly. "Is…is that you? Or am I dreaming?"

Dipper Pines sat down next to her, as vivid as her imagination remembered. Pacifica had to wonder, if this wasn't a trick of the mind. She reached out, her hand running through Dipper's hair. He seemed so real. Even if he wasn't, it would be a missed opportunity if she didn't.

Pacifica collapsed into Dipper's arms; eyes tightly closed as she embraced him. At this moment, Dipper knew something was terribly wrong, but didn't want to break the moment. He wrapped his arms around her back and felt her familiar embrace. It was like being in the eye of a storm – calm and peaceful, surrounded by the darkness and chaos of cold reality.

"I thought you were gone…" Pacifica broke the silence, her voice weak as she held back tears. Looking up at Dipper, she saw his deep, brown eyes full of understanding, concern, and sympathy…sympathy she didn't know she so desperately longed for. Just seeing him again, made her relax slightly. "It's okay, I'm here now," he spoke sincerely, almost apologetically, even though it wasn't his fault. Pacifica tried to suppress her emotions, but it was too late. Her heart was pouring itself out.

"I heard you went missing, and I didn't know if you'd be back or not…I'm sorry." She looked away briefly, rubbing her bleeding knee absent mindedly.

"I wasn't gone for that long, was I…?" Dipper's certainty dropped, as he had long ago lost track of time. "When was the last time anyone saw me?"

"Yesterday, when I saw you on my way home." Pacifica accidentally revealed her hand, dark red mixed with dirt. She tried to hide it, but Dipper noticed the dark red spot on her hand.

"Are you sure you're okay? Come on, I'll help you home." Dipper stood up and held out his hand to Pacifica. For a moment, she considered just following Dipper, regardless of where he'd take her. Then she realized, he'd bring her back to the isolated prison where her father was. The only thing she could count on there was crippling loneliness and too much time to think.

"I don't want to go back," she said, some color returning to her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dipper asked.

"It's personal, it's not like you would understand." She sighed. Clearly this was a heavy topic.

Dipper grimaced as he sat down again. "Come on, I'm not leaving you like this."

"Why are you doing this?" Pacifica asked, a note of distrust in her voice all of a sudden. "Do you enjoy seeing me vulnerable like this, after what I've done to you in the past?"

Dipper frowned. He wasn't good with conversations like these, his mind always had a hard time coming up with a response that didn't come out the wrong way.

"It's not that. I would never do that to anyone, much less you. Besides, you saved me from the ghost that one night, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here right now…" his voice trailed off, as he tried to get a grasp of if he was saying the right thing.

"You wouldn't have been frozen if I didn't just tell you the truth from the start," she looked uncomfortable, as if she was trying to come to terms with something.

Dipper looked apologetic, as he remembered that night: "_You lied to me! All of you did!_" He winced. Not his finest memory of the summer. "Look, I've said I was sorry for what I said to you, I was wrong before. I used to hate you, but I've learned more about you since then, and turned out I was too quick to judge you."

Pacifica's face softened a little. "Well took you long enough to come to your senses." She said insultingly, but it came out more as a tease. Dipper managed a small smile.

"If it makes you feel any better, I found out more about your family history. I don't know how long I've been gone for, but it wasn't without reason." Dipper's voice weakened over the course of the sentence, as his body weakened.

For the first time, Pacifica looked carefully at her companion. His brown hair was coated in mud, and face was bruised and pale. It looked like he hadn't slept well, his eyes bloodshot. His left arm seemed scarred and crimson. Dipper took a deep breath, but his eyes were wide, and his strength gone. He tried to hide his arm, but Pacifica grabbed it.

"What happened?" her voice sounded almost scared, and her heartbeat quickened.

"It's nothing…just a…" Dipper winced. "…it's just a large scratch."

"Some scratch," her voice was sarcastic, but her face revealed real fear. Dipper felt his body slowing down, as his vision became blurry. He saw a mix of blonde and purple, fading to black. He felt someone grabbing him, trying to shake him back to consciousness. A warm feeling spread across his left arm. He started spacing out, trying to focus on anything was a struggle he was sure to lose. Pacifica's voice faded, as his heart rate slowed, and his breathing lessened.

"_Dipper!_"


	8. Relief

Pacifica's face paled as she tried to shake her friend back into consciousness. Dipper's forehead was hot to the touch, and his lips were moving but making no sound. Pacifica tried to take a deep breath, but this was too much for her. If only she hadn't hesitated for so long. The more she thought about it, the more she blamed herself. Her mind told her to calm down, but she didn't listen. Her blonde hair got in her eyes, as she put her hands on Dipper's shoulders. He always seemed to be there for her in a way no one else was.

For a moment, Dipper's head cleared. The sight of Pacifica worried, looking over him, would've allowed him a laugh under most circumstances, but it hurt to do so. He wanted to make excuses, to say his injury was nothing, to sooth her in some way…but he came up blank. His adventures through time were more dangerous than he expected, and his injuries were deeper than he wanted to admit. Dipper slowly looked up at her, his neck strained.

"Don't scare me like that!" Pacifica's voice sounded angry, but her face relaxed a little. She paused, trying to build up some courage, but the stress of the situation made her doubt herself. Did Pacifica dare trust herself? There may not be another moment for this, but how would he react? He might not even remember, even if she did tell him. Her brain had a hard time wrapping itself around her and Dipper's relationship.

* * *

The dark frontier intensified as Mabel desperately tried to spot any signs of life. All day, she spent her time split between frantically jumping at any car passing by or dog barking, hoping to see Dipper again; the other half spent looking at her scrapbook and thinking to herself. It's easy for her to forget, but her personality is an open book, while Dipper never shared his emotions or feelings if he could help it.

Sure, last year he was crushing over Wendy, but that time had come and passed. He still occasionally shared the highlights of his day, but she didn't remember half of them, they were mostly nerdy and uninteresting. Yet, he always was ready to sacrifice himself to help others. The quality of a true hero. Not that she would ever admit this.

The front door burst open, and Mabel rushed down the stairs, hoping for any good news. She was greeted with the sight of two old men, shivering and gray, and endless disappointment. Grunkle Ford opened his mouth to say something, but Grunkle Stan stopped him. He embraced Mabel, picking her up from the floor, and stroked her back. Grunkle Ford stood awkwardly by the doorway, his hands in his pockets.

"We'll find him sweetie. Even if it takes another thirty years…"

* * *

A tall, slim, red haired teenager walked down the dark streets. Normally Wendy had better things to do than go for a walk at night, but a text message from Mabel proved otherwise. Apparently, her brother has been missing for a few days. Wendy doubted it was anything serious; Dipper was like, the smartest guy she'd met. Him being gone for a day? Sure, _maybe_ it was out of the ordinary. Well, never hurts to be sure. Dipper never had a cellphone, so had to search for him the old-fashioned way. Wendy walked down the street, passing _Greasy's Diner_.

It felt like she was walking in circles. Gravity Falls was a small enough town that it didn't take much time to breeze through all the ins and outs. She held out her flashlight, as she checked her phone for the time. The wind tugged at her shirt, admittedly there wasn't much she'd be able to find out, but disappointing Mabel… neither option was appealing.

* * *

Dipper tried to force his body to wake up – _to get up_ – but the sudden pain of trying to move was making it hard to concentrate. Pacifica's frightened expression glaring down at him didn't make it easier. He felt for the time traveling tape measure with his right hand and grasped it in his pocket. If it came down to it, he'd use it to get out of this situation. _If it came down to it…_

Pacifica had never seen such a gruesome scene, and the shock was starting to wear her down. Her clothes were now bloody, not just from her minor scrape, but now Dipper's as well. She looked away; it was too much. In the distant, she spotted a light weaving through the city streets. She shouldn't be here…yet she couldn't leave Dipper behind. She glanced at him for a second. His eyes were staring ahead, he was mumbling to himself.

She fumbled for her cellphone and dialed 9-1-1. Then, she hugged Dipper, just for a second. With that, she ran off. It was the most cowardly, lowly thing she felt she had ever done. But, what else _could_ she have done? She was only thirteen, not good under pressure, and still not sure what her life had become. There was no consolation in this, but she hoped Dipper would be okay, and would forgive her.

* * *

It's been a few hours, and the red headed, strong willed teenager had no better luck than the senior Pines. Wendy paused in her stride, hesitant to quit the search with no results. Her quiet thoughts were interrupted by bright strobe lights and a loud siren. She turned her head, to see a bright red ambulance barrel down the street, urgently accelerating.

As quickly as it interrupted her thoughts, the ambulance rushed past her, and took a hard right. Wendy caught a glimpse of the gray, serious faces of the emergency responders. She had a sinking feeling about this. Wendy broke into a sprint, anxious to catch up to the vehicle. Her green flannel shirt waved in the wind and her hair got in her eyes, as she ran down the street. Rounding the corner, she saw the ambulance staff wrapping someone in a safety blanket and rolling him into the back doors on a gurney.

The shriek of a police siren announced the presence of the local law enforcement, sending a cold shiver down Wendy's spine. Sheriff Blubs looked glum as he and Deputy Durland stepped out of the car. They said a quick word to the driver of the ambulance, before it took off down the same road as before. The two police officers gravely took in the scene in front of them, none too happy. This may not be the news Mabel wanted to hear, but it was better than no news at all. Barely.

* * *

Pacifica barely slept that night. It was four o'clock, and she found herself attempting to distract herself from sleeping. Her body was tired, but her mind was trying to process a lot of information. A part of her wondered what happened to the boy she abandoned. Another told her that she was right to do so, he wasn't deserving of her time. It was like she was at war with herself, not able to make up her mind about anything.

_Was it even worth going to bed?_ The digital clock on her nightstand read "_4:32_" in red, blocky numbers. Soon, the numbers changed to "_4:33_". They meant nothing to her. If she stayed up much longer, nothing else would either. Dark thoughts started to form in her mind. Some familiar, while some were new and darker than the ones before. They used to scare her, now they made her curious. _Given the right circumstances…_ Pacifica forced herself to shut her eyes. Anxiety built up in her body, sending a shiver down her spine. Her heart pounded as she started to picture herself in hopeless scenarios…darkness encircling her, dragging her down.

* * *

Numbness. A lot of tubes sticking out of him. A monitor stood to his right, with a readout of some information. His mouth was completely dry, and a headache was starting. Dipper tried to move but found himself to be too weak to do much. He looked down; his wounded arm was now bandaged up, trapped in a sling. The room was barren and cold, with just a trace of light coming from the sole ceiling bulb. The door was closed shut, and a table stood to the right of his bed.

Then the headache set in. A world of hurt, unleashed like Pandora's box. It was like someone was trying to drill straight into his skull, taking their time, making every mark felt. Dipper winced, trying to keep himself from crying out. It didn't matter anyway; his mouth was too dry and his throat too swollen to make more than a raspy wheeze. The sides of his skull felt like they were caving in, trying to crush his brain.

Dipper squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears of pain. The only way to relieve that pain would be to focus on something – _anything_ – besides what was happening. His thoughts were hazy, and his memory of the last few days weak. The wounded teen tried to feel for his notebook but was too numb to feel the outlines of it.

In the world behind the door, he heard muffled conversations going on, likely between the hospital staff and some restless visitors. Dipper felt the rush of the air as the door burst open. A heroic looking Grunkle Stan stood in the doorway, backed by Mabel Pines and Great Uncle Ford. Behind them, a subdued and tired looking nurse stood, seemingly overwhelmed by the scene.

"DIPPER!" Mabel's shrill voice was welcomed by Dipper, even if it didn't help his headache. He managed a small smile.

"Hey sis," he managed weakly.

Her face fell, her eyes glancing over him. He was a sight for sore eyes.

Dipper's smile faded. "I'm sorry for this…"

His relatives stood around him, silently. Grunkle Stan rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay kid… We're glad we found you." Grunkle Stan smiled sadly.

Great Uncle Ford looked into Dipper's eyes, which were missing his usual spark. This wasn't the same Dipper he saw geek out over his journals. Yet, at least he's safe… In one shape. More or less. Great Uncle Ford patted Dipper's head, silently expressing his relief that Dipper was found.

Mabel hugged her twin brother, silently recounting how many times she'd missed him over the last few days. She felt her brother's lungs inflating with each breath. She felt his heart pulse through his chest. Her hand grabbed the back of Dipper's head, as she rested on his shoulder. "I thought I lost you…" Dipper felt her heartrate accelerate, as his sister strongly embraced him. He felt terrible for causing so much trouble, he really didn't mean to. He wrapped his hands around her back, hugging her tightly.

The nurse returned, this time with reinforcements. Mabel saw her brother taken away from her, into a world of medical nightmares. Grunkle Stan lifted her up and carried her back to the car. Stanford Pines looked back over his shoulder, to see Dipper being wheeled out of the room they had just reunited in. If Dipper thought it hurt badly then, he wasn't going to like how he'd feel after the next several MRI scans, physical exams, and operations. But he was safe, and that's what mattered.


	9. Remembrance

Pacifica Northwest was rudely awakened by the sound of her father's condescending voice.

"Pacifica, do you have any idea what time it is?"

She looked at the clock on her desk. "_12:52_". It was already afternoon. Normally, she wouldn't sleep past nine o'clock, otherwise half the day would be wasted. Recently, she stopped caring. There wasn't much she had to look forward to, so little reason to even wake up. Her memory of last night's events was groggy, and her father's disappointed look stared into her eyes. She yawned.

"Well?" her father's voice persisted.

"…it's 1 o'clock…" she replied weakly.

Mr. Northwest looked at her in disdain, shook his head and left her room.

Pacifica rubbed her eyes and tried to remember what happened last night. She stayed up way too late. Her head was a little clearer now, thoughts rushed into her head. Her mood decreased a little.

She heard her phone buzz. A text message from Mabel. "_Hey Pacifica! Found Dipper yesterday, sorry for thinking he was with you. We gifted him a new phone, here's his number._" Her phone showed a prompt to add "Dipper Pines" to her contacts list. Without a second thought, Pacifica obliged. She paused, then proceeded to type him a message: "_Hi Dipper. Mabel told me you were found, feeling alright?_" She hesitated but pressed "send" before memories of her leaving Dipper behind last night resurfaced in her consciousness.

It was time for her to get up. Any longer, and Pacifica felt she'd just sleep the entire day. A quick shower, and a light breakfast later, she was ready to start the day. An unread message disclosed a reply from Dipper: "_Yeah, feeling fine. Thanks for the help._" She could almost hear his voice, serious and quiet, saying those words out loud. "_You didn't look fine last night_" she replied accusingly. Pacifica almost expected him to make a jab at her breakdown yesterday and smiled preemptively. "_It could've been worse. How are you holding up?_" Pacifica frowned. "_Didn't sleep well, fine otherwise,_" she admitted.

* * *

Dipper Pines was lying in a hospital bed, resting from his earlier ordeals. He felt like he was an anomaly himself, being investigated by all the doctors and nurses. His ears rang from the last MRI scan, making it hard to focus on anything. Thankfully, Great Uncle Ford and Mabel gave him a present. They weren't allowed to deliver it in person, barred from entering by the hospital staff for yesterday's stunt, however Ford had written a quick note:

_Dear Dipper,_

_Sorry we couldn't see you in person today, the hospital staff wouldn't let us pass after how we burst in yesterday. Regardless, hope you're feeling better, and know that we'll always be there for you._

_Mabel and I came up with a present for you, which we've given the nurse to pass along to you, I trust you'll figure out how to use it. Should help you keep in touch next time!_

\- _Ford & Mabel_

The note was attached to a glossy white box, which enclosed a new smartphone. A beautifully crafted slab of metal and glass, in a compact rectangle. Didn't take long for Dipper to set up the device and connect to the guest network. Normally, Dipper wouldn't care much for wasting time looking into a small screen when he could be playing video games or solving mysteries, but it _was_ a great distraction from the pain.

He felt the phone vibrate for a moment, as a rectangular card appeared on the top of the screen. A text message from Pacifica. Over the next few minutes, he messaged back and forth. It felt very pleasant to talk to someone, even if he couldn't see her face. It's a shame he couldn't leave the hospital yet, the doctors had finished cleaning up and stitching his left arm and gave him some painkillers if his headache got too bad but wouldn't let him leave for a few more days. From the whispers between staff, the doctors were trying to figure out if he was psychologically well. A year ago, he would've laughed at the thought of himself being mentally unstable, but last year wasn't particularly kind to him. Dipper closed his eyes for a moment, his memory recollecting what happened last year.

* * *

When Dipper and Mabel returned to Piedmont, California, it was a black and white difference. Gone were the nights when Mabel and Dipper talked to each other, planning their next adventure. Gone was the evening breeze and smell of trees, replaced by the drone of cars passing by their street and the humid, dry nature of California. It was like two different worlds.

Of course, the twins were more than happy to see their parents for the first time in months. Happy to resume their previous daily life. A life filled with long hours of homework, uninspired lectures from tired and underpaid teachers, and a schedule so repetitive it made a single day in Gravity Falls seem brighter than the rest of the year. Such was the unfortunate reality.

Of course, the siblings said nothing of the last few events they endured in Gravity Falls. Weirdmageddon was a touchy subject for anyone who had the misfortune of enduring it. Sometimes, it seemed like it didn't even happen. Whenever Dipper thought too much about it, his mood would turn sour as he reminded himself of the friends and family he stood alongside, none of whom he remained in contact with…Mabel being the exception of course. Though it seemed, Mabel tried to make herself forget the whole thing, and hesitated to acknowledge it. In a way, she felt it was all her fault, and while everyone tried to convince her it wasn't, a part of her refused to believe it. She still missed Gravity Falls as much as Dipper, but Weirdmageddon left a lasting impression on her, one she took close to heart.

School was every bit as suffocating and numbing as ever. Walking through the hallway, seeing the faces of everyone who wouldn't ever even come close to understanding their ordeal, created a rift between Dipper and his classmates. Mabel's outgoing personality saved her from this fate. Dipper kept to himself, with just a few friends to chat with during lunch. Next year, chances are he wouldn't have the same comfort, as high schools often split up lunches into two groups, and knowing his luck, he likely wouldn't see his friends around for much longer.

Was it silly to consider his life over? That's how it seemed like in the moment. After such a rollercoaster of a summer, to return to _this_. Dipper started falling behind in some of his classes, as he found it hard to focus on boring topics, when Gravity Falls had such fascinating occurrences. He used to be able to pass any class with a breeze, but now he was struggling to motivate himself to do anything. Dipper's poor performance in school also strained his relationship with his parents, who didn't know how to effectively punish him. Up until now, he always had stellar grades, and now at the end of middle school, something changed in him. Through trial and error, Dipper's parents came up with the idea of keeping him home for the summer if his grades didn't improve.

Much to Dipper's annoyance, it worked. His schoolwork improved, but his connection to his parents worsened. One day, during dinner, he snapped. His parents were complimenting Mabel for her willful obedience and average grades, giving Dipper the cold shoulder. It felt like no one understood him, and he had no one to turn to. When even your own family seems hurtful and cruel, what can you do? Dipper felt downright miserable. Forced to live through the interludes between summers.

* * *

Dipper's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a melody playing loudly from his new phone. The dark cloud of memories momentarily cleared in his head, and he looked at the screen. After a pause, he tapped the screen to answer the call:

"Hello?"

"Hey bro, it's Mabel!"

Mabel's energetic voice echoed through the phone's speaker.

"What do you think of my gift?"

Dipper smiled to himself. It was nice to hear a familiar voice. A happy, uplifting one.

"I thought it was Great Uncle Ford who bought it for me."

"Pffft it was my idea. He just went to the store, that's it. Besides, I pitched in... a little."

He let out a small laugh.

"Well, thanks. It's pretty cool."

The conversation paused for a moment, before Mabel asked:

"How are you feeling Dipper?"

"I'm…doing alright. Hopefully they let me out soon." Dipper's hesitation was obvious, even over the phone.

"Good to hear. But what happened?" Mabel probed, asking the question Dipper didn't know how to explain.

"It's complicated, how about I explain when I'm home?" Dipper hoped he would have an explanation by then.

"Okay, talk to you later!" Mabel's serious tone lifted back to her normal, cheery self.

Dipper listened to the phone line die, fade to the constant beeping of an ended conversation. He had to come up with a plausible explanation, or at least, mask part of the real truth.


	10. Forbidden Happiness

Dipper Pines woke up, his body hesitant to function. It was the last day of his unexpected hospital visit. Whatever the doctors were discussing earlier, they must've come to some sort of favorable conclusion. His arm was in a sling, but his headache had started to fade. It would be nice to get outside and enjoy the summer; after all, that's what he came here for. Dipper thought for a moment, how much fun it would be do explore and move around and _feel alive_.

A nurse entered the room, and casually smiled. She motioned for him to follow, and Dipper was glad to oblige. He followed, out the door and into the hallway, excited to finally leave his prison, but weary of what was waiting for him at the reception desk. Thoughts ran through his head, arriving at a singular reminder…_Trust No One_.

Greeting him were the happy faces of his family – Great Uncle Ford, Stan, and of course, Mabel and Waddles. Stan was nonchalantly talking with the desk receptionist, while Mabel was seemingly trying to suppress a squeal of joy. Her hands found their way around his neck, and for a second, Dipper forgot how to breathe.

"Dipper! You're okay!" Mabel's voice held back from yelling and risked catching the attention of everyone within earshot. Dipper laughed as he hugged back.

"I'm glad to see you too Mabel."

Grunkle Stan spared a few words too:

"Glad you're okay, try not to get yourself killed next time you're alone for a day."

The ride home was fairly quiet…until Mabel decided to break the silence.

"So…Dipper. What happened to you when you were gone?"

Of course, the question Dipper had been dreading. He couldn't just say that he traveled through time and injured himself there. Dipper took a deep breath, and silently rolled the dice in his head.

"Well uhm, was just exploring out in the woods and lost track of time…"

He looked away from Mabel, not making eye contact.

"…and I calculated I'd find a new species of wolves out there. But instead, I tripped over a tree branch and hit my head."

Dipper looked up at Mabel again, hoping she wouldn't see through his masked truth. It _was_ true after all, he tried to convince himself.

Mabel couldn't be sure, but it seemed like it wasn't the entire truth. But, did it really matter? Her twin brother was back! After missing him for a day and not being able to see him at the hospital, it felt relieving just to see him in person again. Besides, their mother once said, "Don't push your luck!".

The rest of the drive was uneventful, to Dipper's relief. Great Uncle Ford remained silent and didn't say much. Maybe he suspected something was up, or maybe his mind was busy with other ideas for new inventions. Grunkle Stan pulled his car up to the recognizable sight of the Mystery Shack. It was nice to be out of the hospital and somewhere familiar.

* * *

It was late in the evening, and a taxicab pulled up to the new residence of the Northwest family. A familiar figure exited the cab and approached the front door. Pacifica quickly abandoned whatever she was doing and ran downstairs to the front door. Mrs. Northwest was home from her trip.

"Mom, you're finally home!" Pacifica's voice was filled with joy and hope. Hope that her family could be happy again. Mr. Northwest silently appeared from within the house, there to greet his wife. Priscilla Northwest entered silently, embraced her daughter, and looked apprehensively at her husband. The two looked at each other silently for a few moments, before Preston spoke.

"Welcome home," he offered, visibly shaken. Priscilla looked at Pacifica for a second and saw her wishful gaze. Pacifica visibly wanted everything to return to normal, despite her parents' strained relations. Silently, the two adults agreed to spare their daughter the true nature of Priscilla's visit, and put aside everything else. Their daughter mattered to them, even if they rarely displayed it.

The Northwest family sat down for dinner, reunited for the first time since Mrs. Northwest's absence. To Pacifica, it appeared that maybe, for the first time in a while, her family could become whole again. It didn't need to be perfect, as she once was led to believe, but not having one at all would be way worse. The two people she knew best, with all their flaws, were her parents. Ever since last year, her parents gave up on using the bell as a way to control her, as they no longer had to appear as proud aristocrats to the townspeople – it was a well-known joke of how the poorest man in Gravity Falls traded places with the richest.

After dinner, Pacifica felt the desire to share her newfound happiness with someone. The first person in her chat history just happened to be _Dipper Pines_.

"Hey Dipper, you'll never guess what happened!" she texted him.

"What happened?" came the reply.

"My mom came back, and it seems like my family is back to normal!"

A minute passed before the next message.

"That's good news. Want to meet up so you can tell me about it? I've got something to share as well."

Pacifica hesitated for a moment, but then agreed.

The sun had set, and the clear sky offered a beautiful glimpse at the stars above. Dipper Pines sat on the grass, gazing into the sky. He was reminded of how Gravity Falls hid the crash-landed spacecraft under its remarkable landscape. For a brief moment, he forgot why he was out late, until he saw the telltale sight of Pacifica, her golden hair glistening in the moonlight, as she walked up the hill to join him at his request.

"Quite the night, isn't it?" he asked cordially.

Pacifica's look told him quickly that the sky was the least of her concerns.

"Sure, whatever. You wanted to meet?" her voice was friendly, but weary, almost apprehensive.

"Yeah I did. You mentioned your mother came back? How's that going so far?"

"Swell, actually. I thought for sure that my parents were going to divorce, but thankfully, that seems to have passed. My dad actually met her when she came home, and they looked ready to make amends…" Pacifica launched into a long explanation of how her parents were now much better off and all the wiser since last summer. "…I knew my parents wouldn't stay mad at each other forever and learn how to change."

Dipper let out a sigh. He could see that Pacifica didn't want to accept the much likelier reality, which is that her parents _would_ divorce rather soon, and didn't want to tell her too early. The fact that Mr. Northwest was acting strangely, and Mrs. Northwest was gone for a long time, was already a cause for concern. Chances were that Mrs. Northwest saw that life without her husband was better and came back only to negotiate the terms.

"You're not even listening!" Pacifica's sharp tone shattered Dipper's thoughts.

"Pacifica, I hate to break it to you, but your family isn't going back to normal," he started.

"I know that! But it's close enough. It doesn't need to be perfect, like it once was." Pacifica's voice sounded a little desperate, but Dipper's tiring ordeal of still recovering from his injuries and a mixture of medications dulled his normally keen sense of observation.

"Look, it's not going to happen Pacifica! I've seen this all before, and I'm sorry to say it, but your family won't be together for much longer, there's no way around it!"

Pacifica fell quiet, shocked for a moment at Dipper's blunt rebuttal of the hopes she shared with him. Then, the shock gave way to anger.

"What, you think you _know_ my family? Even if you do, who gave you the right to accuse them that way? I've spent an entire year dealing with people like you, saying how bad my family is, and even if it's true, I'm sick of hearing about it! Do you _know_ what I have to deal with every single day? 'oh look, it's the daughter of the Northwests, the family that lost their mansion to a homeless guy!' I'm so done with it!"

Before Dipper could mumble an excuse, he saw the blur of Pacifica's hand strike his face, leaving a burning mark on his cheek.

"I thought you of all people would understand what I've been through." Pacifica said coldly, giving one last glance to Dipper. He wasn't shocked or surprised. Instead, a look of bitter sadness covered his face, his skin grew pale, his brown eyes brimming with tears. He looked away from her. Pacifica stood up, and marched away, angry and upset.

Walking away, she threw one last glance at Dipper to see him staring into the distance. She was about to turn away forever, when she noticed something glaring in his hand…


	11. Breaking Point

**A/N:** Full disclaimer, chapter contains self-harm. If you do not feel comfortable reading it, please skip to the next chapter or stop reading here. I'll do my best to cover all the necessary bits of the storyline in the next chapter.

Pacifica had turned her back on Dipper Pines, but she sensed something was off about him. Well, she also sensed a deep feeling of guilt, one she hadn't felt since the night at Northwest manor. Sure, she felt bad about how she treated and lied to everyone, but it wasn't the same as this feeling of loneliness and despair. The young girl ducked behind some bushes, as she looked on to see what his next move would be, hoping to justify her actions.

Dipper emotionlessly stared into the distance, as tears rolled down his face. Without looking down, he fetched his pocketknife from his pocket. Feeling with his fingers, he extended the blade out of the handle. The metal blade felt lethal as he ran his finger along the edge.

A tight feeling enveloped his chest. His breathing became more accelerated, as the tightness around his chest expanded. He felt his heart start to beat faster. Dipper felt himself start to drown in despair and turned his head to finally address the knife in his hand. The blade mirrored the distress on his watered face. As he contemplated what he was about to do, Dipper started to lose himself. Recent memories surfaced, turning his soul cold to the world.

He lifted his hand, preemptively regretting what he was about to do to himself. There was no going back from this. The cold blade pressed against his right arm; Dipper moved the knife lightly down his skin. He saw the vague, white outline of where he traced the blade. In retrospect, he should've stopped there, but a part of his mind wasn't satisfied. The teen's heart rate quickened with each stroke, as he moved the knife down his arm again and again, applying more pressure each time. Before long, a red streak appeared on his arm, seemingly satisfying him.

The hero who had survived all the weirdness of last year, from time travelers and child psychics, to dream demons, had finally reached his breaking point.

Pacifica watched quietly, her mouth gaping open in a silent scream. Each cut from Dipper's knife, she felt against her own heart. It was all because of her, wasn't it? All because he was trying to help her, and she didn't want to believe him. A single tear rolled down her cheek. The world was truly a cruel, twisted place.

A part of her wanted to run to Dipper, to apologize, to save him from further harming himself…but she had just severed herself from that possibility. No way would he react kindly to not only the mere sight of her, but the fact that she'd seen…what he'd done. He probably hated her. She truly was the worst, the one person who believed in her and saw her for what she was, now was out of reach, probably forever.

The young blonde retreated to her house, burdened by the dark turn of events she experienced. Dipper's hurt gaze the moment after she slapped him replayed in her mind. As she entered the house, Pacifica could hear the familiar raised voices of her parents arguing again and let out a sad sigh.

* * *

_She found herself outside Greasy's Diner. Not sure how she got there, or what was going on. Entering, turned out it was empty. No hoard of endless customers. No casual banter. A pot of coffee was left on the stove. Definitely out of the ordinary. _

_Walking outside, not a soul in sight. A gentle breeze blew through the cold and barren streets of the town. Not knowing what was happening, she aimlessly wandered in a direction subconsciously chosen. The breeze turned cold, sending chills down her spine. Leaves blew past her face, the wind animatedly playing with her long hair. Her feet carried her down a dirt path to the opposite end of town. _

_The weather turned gray as droplets of rain fell from the sky. Puddles formed in her path, the gentle rhythm of water hitting the leaves of the trees turning fierce. At the end of the road, a white glow could be seen. The white glow illuminated the place she dreaded. Her stomach tightened, no turning back now. _

_Knocking on the front door, she hoped the cabin would be as empty as the town was. Footsteps reverberated from inside, crushing her hopes. The door creaked open, revealing a tall man. His shoulders were broad, and his hair was familiarly messy, but what she saw horrified her. The man's hair was nearly gray, and his arms were horribly scarred. He had a cane in one hand, and a leather book in the other. Peering over the rims of his silver glasses, the man looked back at her. She wanted to scream, to cover her eyes, to run away as fast as she could, but something about his eyes captivated her. Those eyes had no sympathy, no love. The friendly glance she knew was gone, replaced by a mean grimace. Wordlessly, he beckoned for her to enter. _

_"What brings you here?" his cold voice echoed through the empty world in her head. Those brown eyes glared at her in hate._

_She wanted to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, to cry her soul out, but all she could do was look on helplessly. It hurt to see his face, his expression of pure despise, worse than her parents' gravest punishments._

_"After all I've done for you – helped you stand up against your family, discover your true self, your family's history…you turned your back on me. I trusted you…but you never returned the favor. Abandoned me each time. You should've just left me for dead at the manor."_

_His vengeful words cut straight through her heart. _

_The man shook his head in disappointment and walked off into another room. Her eyes followed. The long shadow cast from the ceiling light betrayed his intentions. Her eyes widened. The dark shadow picked up a long blade, and thrust it deep into its stomach, a horrifying sound of metal slicing straight through the skin pierced the atmosphere._

* * *

Pacifica breathed in deeply, the pressure from her chest fading slowly. Her eyes were wide open, she felt freezing cold, and her heart beat erratically. The nightmare engrained itself in her mind, frightening how it affected her. Sweating in anxiety, the girl reached to her nightstand and found her phone. She sent a quick text, hoping to hear a reassuring response.

"_Hey Mabel, is Dipper ok?_"

Shortly after, she saw the time – 4:33 AM. No way she would respond this early in the morning. Pacifica took another deep breath, trying to keep calm. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard a buzz.

"_Um Pacifica? It's 4 AM! He's asleep. Why?"_

She paused. Should she tell Mabel about what she saw? It would be for Dipper's own good…but maybe that was also part of her dream? Pacifica breathed in, trying to differentiate what she remembered and what was her nightmare. After a moment, she shuddered. It would be impossible to share what she'd seen, and Mabel would definitely not take it well.

"_Never mind, was just wondering._"

For her own good, she needed to help Dipper, otherwise she would never feel happy again. There had to be a way to fix this. The dread started building up in her, but Pacifica didn't want to give up yet.

Among all the people she knew, Dipper held a special place. No one could be so charismatically charming and so awkward simultaneously. He had his flaws, and as it turned out, so did she. Losing him would make life that much more miserable. She hated the thought. Pacifica had thought that having her family return to normal would bring light back into her dark world, but they never showed the same devotion to others as the brown-haired teenager had.

* * *

The following morning, Dipper was rudely awoken by his twin sister.

"…wha…_why_?" he protested weakly, as she shook him awake.

"Rise and shine bro-bro!" she called, a smile on her face.

"Pacifica texted me late last night asking if you were okay…" Mabel started, a sly look on her face. "Anything you have to comment on that?"

Dipper groaned, the pain on his right arm creeping up. He stared at the wall for a moment, his memory clearing. "Comment? Not much, she probably hates me now. I deserve it…"

Dipper spoke in a low tone, hesitant to show any emotion. He caught Mabel's glance.

"Come on Dip, can't be that bad! I can talk to her for yo- "

He cut her off.

"Mabel, do me a favor for once. Just stay out of it."

Without another word, Dipper stood up, and left the room.


	12. Melancholy

**A/N:** For those who skipped chapter 11, here's a summary.  
After Pacifica's anger got the best of her, she backed off, but watched Dipper from a distance, to find out that he was seriously depressed. She didn't take it too well and had a nightmare that night. The following day, Mabel confronted her brother about Pacifica, and he told her to leave it alone.

It's been a week, and Dipper's left arm had finally healed. The stiches came out, and the sling was gone. He often thought about what had transpired from the week prior. He vaguely remembered the pain he felt that day, with a twisted sense of fondness. But every time he recalled that time, he also had to remember that Pacifica slapped him. Rightfully so. He shouldn't have been so blunt, but it's easy to regret now. If he lingered too long, the more he reminisced, the more he'd hate himself. Like digging yourself deeper into a hole full of your worst regrets.

On multiple occasions, the teenager found himself leafing through the pages of his light blue journal, embossed with a golden pine tree. Several times, he reread his notes on what he found out about the Northwests and considered tearing them out. What use were they? Why had he bothered? Looking back on those pages…reflecting on how much happier he had been, in the face of danger, investigating a mystery he had no role in.

Too late now, Dipper forced himself to clear his mind, and find something to do. Mabel recently found herself going out alone, probably disregarding his favor he asked for. Dipper had no illusions that Mabel wouldn't get off his case, even when he asked nicely. Not everything was great about having a twin, even though the benefits outweighed the negatives.

Dipper made his way downstairs from the attic he shared with his sister. Walking into the kitchen, he joined the company of the older twin brothers, Stanley and Stanford.

"Hey kid, feelin' better?" Grunkle Stan asked gruffly. "We're missing a nerd exhibit from the Shack's collection, and Ford over here refuses to have anything to do with it."

Dipper felt a smile form on his face. "I think I'll pass. Hey Great Uncle Ford… uhm, have any plans for today?"

The old man looked up, seemingly interrupted from whatever mental exercise he was doing in his head.

"Oh yeah, actually. I had something in mind, and Dipper, you're the right guy for the job. Remember my lab in the woods?"

Dipper nodded, a shiver running down his spine. Definitely not the best day of last summer.

"Well, I need to reorganize, and a lot of equipment got damaged when the portal exploded. I need somewhere more organized to conduct my tests. What do you say?"

Meeting Ford's eyes, Dipper replied in the affirmative.

* * *

Working at Greasy's Diner, no shift was ever the same as the previous. Lazy Susan definitely was an unusual boss, but nevertheless Pacifica felt welcome at her diner, even more so than in her own home. It was reassuring to know what was expected of her, each day she arrived for work. The consistent tide of customers coming in during the traditional meal hours. Since Oregon's labor laws still somehow applied to Gravity Falls (unlike several other laws), Pacifica found herself working in the evenings.

Her first week was definitely a harsh reality check. Not being able to insult patrons was much harder than the blonde originally thought. Lazy Susan didn't realize it would be a big issue, until customers started complaining, and forced her hand. Later that day, she sat down with Pacifica to explain to her, that antagonizing the people who pay her tips was not the way to go about her job. Unfortunately, using money as motivation for a girl who always got what she wanted was not going to work.

What did work however, was punishment. While Lazy Susan didn't have a golden bell, she made up for with keen ideas of extra work…such as wiping the stove, taking out the trash, cleaning up the diner after hours, and rinsing the dishes. None of those tasks particularly appealed to the reluctant teenager, so it didn't take long before the disgusting experience of having to clean up scraps of leftover food from the sticky tables to have a positive effect on her work.

Pacifica sometimes doubted why she began working. Most kids her age never gave a second thought about work, especially in her social circle. However, since the Northwest fortune largely faded, Pacifica found an opportunity to start from scratch in her own way, free from her family's tainted wealth. Once she set her mind to it, she made a promise to herself not to give up. The job never became fun or enjoyable, but it definitely wasn't the lowest point of her days. Some took pity on her situation and gave her some words of consolation. Others didn't, and would often ignore eye contact and leave measly tips. The local students often had mixed reactions to her, very few in the positive sense. Many found the shining irony to be a good source of ridicule, and some stronger willed upper grade students laughed at the contrast between Pacifica's fall from the elite class. Often, in front of her face. If she showed any hint of emotion, they would relish in their victory. Their gloating faces, justifiably looking down on the former bully of the town. Not that Pacifica went out of her way to bully everyone she saw, even before her slight humbling, but the public perception of her did little to her favor.

One particular time, a rich entrepreneur dropped by, seemingly with the explicit purpose of belittling the former heiress. In his parting words, he flashed a smug smile, and left a tip consisting of multiple twenty-dollar bills. "_Figured I'd give a bit more to the poor this week!_" She could hear his laughter, cold hearted and self-righteous. Worse, it reminded Pacifica of her past self, in every terrible way.

At least today was a slow day. Few townsfolk walked in, so besides taking their orders and fetching them, Pacifica found herself with a little bit of free time. Time to consider how she was going to tackle her problem with Dipper Pines. This was nothing new, she already had thought of the twins before during her shifts. But something about Dipper made her uneasy. She had never seen him vulnerable before, and had no idea what to do about it.

As if in answer to an unsaid prayer, Wendy Corduroy walked through the front door. Her red hair stood out among the crowd, sticking out from underneath a familiar blue and white cap embossed with a pine tree. Pacifica's eyes centered on the familiar hat, brushing her thoughts aside. While skeptical of Wendy's connection to her friend, she could be Pacifica's best bet at reconnecting with Dipper. Subconsciously, Pacifica started timidly messing with a strand of her long hair, her eyes darting between looking down at the floor and looking up at Wendy.

The tall teenage redhead sat down on a stool, facing the counter. Wendy absentmindedly pulled out her phone, and started browsing her contacts. Pacifica took a deep breath, and made her way over.

"Hey, can I take your order?" she asked, doing her best to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah sure, one sec." Wendy didn't look up, continuing to type away. Pacifica breathed out quietly as her nerves tensed. Even though she and Wendy were on friendly terms, Pacifica had to be careful in her approach.

"Alright, I'll have a Coca-Cola."

Her carefree attitude was definitely something to admire.

"Coming right up." The young waitress made her way to Lazy Susan, handing her the order slip.

Moments later, Pacifica set down a tall glass full of soda. "One Coca-Cola."

Wendy finally looked up to thank her server, when she recognized who it was.

"Oh, hey Pacifica. Sorry I didn't notice it was you, been a busy day."

"I can tell." Pacifica's reply was colder than she meant. She sighed, and turned away. A friendly hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to ignore you." Wendy said lightly, but her voice was sincere. She felt the younger teen relax. "Listen, it must be hard to go from having everything you want, to working at a place like this" – she waved her hand in the air, articulating – "but I respect you for that. When I was your age, I'd hang out with my friends and we'd go wreck some stuff! I would've hated having to work long hours indoors, all summer."

Pacifica felt partly offended at Wendy's assumption that she 'had everything she wanted', but it was rare for anyone to respect her out of sincerity, instead of her prior wealth or status. A small smile formed on her face. She felt her cheeks brighten slightly.

"Thanks Wendy, I appreciate it." Her voice brightened.

"Don't mention it, just giving credit where it's due." Wendy leaned back, taking a sip of her drink. "Say, have you seen ole Dipper around lately? The dude's been a bit distant lately. Not that it's out of character for him, just after he got out of the hospital, he's been…weirder than usual."

Pacifica froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond. This wasn't how she pictured talking to Wendy would be like. Luckily for her, Wendy misinterpreted her hesitation.

"Oh, you probably haven't heard! Dipper went missing for a few days, and well, long story short, when he was found, he had to be hospitalized for a few days." – Wendy glanced around the diner, checking to see if anyone was paying attention. – "Nothing serious though, he's fine now of course." Her expression didn't change, but her voice suggested Wendy wasn't fully convinced of her own story.

"Ugh, when is he _not_ getting himself killed? He's too big of a dork for his own good."

Wendy let out a laugh. "Glad you haven't changed _that_ much. So, you haven't seen him?"

"Well…" – Pacifica's voice droned out for a moment, betraying any last opportunity to lie – "I might've talked to him about a week ago."

"And…?" Wendy's expression remained cool, but her eyes looked at Pacifica quizzically.

"It didn't go so well." Pacifica finished quietly; her face turned to the ground in embarrassment.

Wendy's eyebrows raised, as the older teen waited silently.

"Look, it's a long story, and I might've messed up a little." – Pacifica rushed her explanation – "But he probably didn't take it personally, and I haven't seen him since."

Her story was met with silence. She could see Wendy's eyes darken, despite her continuously calm demeanor. After a moment, Wendy responded, serious and quiet.

"What did you tell him?"

Pacifica felt trapped, asked a question she couldn't bring herself to lie her way out of. Her conscious, dormant before the Pines' arrival, now gave her the insight of new pain and torment. Her stomach tightened, and desperation filled her mind.

"I…it was nothing." – she felt her stomach tighten further – "I'll tell you after my shift is over," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Wendy nodded in return, and patted Pacifica's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Okay, I'll be back! See you then."

With a drop of a few bills for her drink, the red headed teenager strode out of the diner.

* * *

Great Uncle Ford made his way through the woods, followed by his young protégé. Marching up to a certain tree in the midst of the Oregon forest, the man pressed a button on his wrist. A door slid open, revealing a spiral staircase to one of Dipper's most embarrassing recent memories. Oh, and the bunker too.

Ford didn't hesitate, striding down the staircase without another thought. Dusting off some of the cobwebs, the pair made their way inside. Ford had a thin smile on his face, thinking of the good times he spent in this laboratory. However, those good times would forever be in the shadow of Fiddleford McGucket, his loyal friend who lost his own sanity on his behalf.

He cleared his throat. "You know, Dipper, you seem to have been a bit strange ever since you've gotten back from the hospital…anything bothering you?"

The boy hesitated, before slowly responding: "Yeah. Everything's fine."

His great uncle sighed.

"Okay. Just figured I'd get that out of the way."

He started clearing the dust off of some of the equipment, clearly preoccupied on something else.

"You know, most of my life, I've spent alone…" – his voice seemed to have a hint of sadness – "…and at first, it seemed like a blessing. Not getting pushed into a portal to a nightmare realm, mind you, but being liberated of human contact."

Dipper nodded, not sure what to say.

"But after returning, and seeing my family for the first time, it's opened my eyes to what it's like."

Ford turned around to glance at Dipper, and saw the confusion on his face.

"Look, back when I was your age, my parents weren't very…supportive." – Ford slumped, recalling his parents' faces. – "They really just wanted me to make them rich. It's a long story," he conceded. "The point is, partly because of them, and my brother's sabotage of my science project, I stopped trusting my own family. However, while it was easy to shut them all out, I never noticed the actual psychological impact it had until I saw Stanley again. Just…promise me Dipper, don't make the same mistakes I did, and don't shut yourself out from everyone."

Dipper once again nodded, to appease his great uncle. That seemed to relax him a little. The main room was dusty, and filled with a lot of dated supplies meant for the apocalypse that had come and passed. Several notes and posters hung on the walls, several tinted yellow with age. The pair wasted no time in getting lost in work, clearing the walls from all the cobwebs, and dusting off the tables.

The day melted away, neither noticed. A few words exchanged, as Ford rediscovered several of his long-forgotten notes and antiques, or Dipper's curiosity hinging on the few memoirs he could find. It felt almost refreshing to return to the mysteries of Gravity Falls. Though _the Author_ was no longer a mystery, his work still was, sometimes even to the man himself. Lingering on dark thoughts had made Dipper forget how much he truly missed the adventures of his great uncles' town. It was a bittersweet memory of his discovery of the bunker he found himself in, standing beside the real "Mr. Mystery" he had searched for the entirety of last summer.

* * *

The evening sun shined through the surrounding trees, casting a long shadow on the entrance to _Greasy's Diner_. Lazy Susan effortlessly catered to the remaining patrons, humming in an upbeat tune. By her side, Pacifica managed to keep herself busy by indulging in all the conversations she could. Anything to keep her mind off of explaining herself to Wendy.

However, the sun eventually faded into the clouds, marking the beginning of a cool night. Lazy Susan set a fresh pie on the windowsill, before taking her apron off. Having gathered her remaining possessions and a few bills of cash, Lazy Susan bid good night to her only employee, and left. Pacifica found herself alone, waiting for the older teen to make good on her promise. She started mopping down the counter when she heard the door open.

"So, now that your shift's up, what's the scoop?" Wendy asked, as she sat down in the same stool as before.

Pacifica let out a sigh, as she put on a frown.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But before I say anything, you won't mention this to anyone else, right?"

Wendy replied, almost suspiciously quickly: "Your secret's safe with me." She smiled reassuringly.

The blonde frowned, before continuing. "Okay fine. You probably know this already, but my parents are going through a rough time right now. My mother's been out of town until last week."

Wendy listened quietly, her expression remaining neutral.

"When she came back, I hoped that everything would get better. I felt the need to tell someone, so I texted Dipper, and well…"

Pacifica's voice trailed off for a moment, hesitation paralyzing her. A second passed before she found her voice again.

"…I told him about it, and he said that it wouldn't last."

Wendy waited for her to continue, but Pacifica fell quiet.

"That doesn't sound too bad. Dipper sometimes gets a little caught up in his own head, I wouldn't take it personally if I were you." Wendy said offhandedly. For a moment, she could've sworn she saw a strange look in Pacifica's eyes, but it faded before she could realize it.

"The only time I think I really upset him was when I snapped at him for ruining my date with Robbie… but even then, he seemed fine after a few days."

Pacifica's eyebrows raised, her look inquisitive as she stared at Wendy. The older girl sighed, as she began to elaborate on the time that Dipper discovered Robbie's manipulative music ploy and sought to ruin her date with him.

"…and the thing that ticked me off the most? He made a feeble attempt at asking me out _right after_ I found out that Robbie didn't care about me at all, and just wanted a girlfriend for show. Not to say Dipper's all bad," – Wendy was quick to mention – "but empathy's not his strong suite. Though the dude's a really awesome friend, that's why I cleared things up for him before it got too far."

The younger blonde listened quietly, feeling uneasy in learning a lot of new history about her friend. Dipper had a crush before, and he never mentioned it? Either he didn't trust her, or he didn't get over it as easily as Wendy let on. Neither option seemed ideal, both sounded hopeless. Pacifica refocused on cleaning the kitchen, her heart hanging on every word Wendy said.

"Oh dang, it's getting late. Thanks for chatting with me though. I'll catch you later!"

Wendy sprang to her feet, ready to head home.

"One more thing."

Wendy paused, turning her head to face Pacifica, who didn't look up from her work.

"Let me know if he's okay."

The lumberjack's daughter smiled to herself; turns out the cold, outwardly sarcastic teen really did have a soft side.


	13. Reservations

It started out as any other day in Gravity Falls. Very little about the town could qualify as 'normal', but the gilded atmosphere still had a sense of regularity. Breakfast meals were set down in front of Preston Northwest and his family, carefully balanced on a silver platter. The taste of the food was still outstanding to anyone not accustomed to the rich lifestyle of having a personal chef, but even at the high levels of aristocracy there were distinguished degrees of wealth. Some had five-star chefs preparing imported food exclusively tailored to their taste. The Northwests no longer enjoyed that luxury.

Pacifica glanced at her phone, twenty-seven text messages from Mabel stood out on among her notifications. At first, they were regarding her interactions with Dipper. Then one time she was invited to hang out with Candy and Grenda. A few days ago, Mabel even asked about her wellbeing. Pacifica had hesitated to reply in the past, knowing that any wrong move she made would be documented and held against her. Though in honesty to herself, she didn't hate Mabel. It's hard to hate someone as cheerful and easy going as the brunette female half of the Pines twins. As annoying as she was at times, like Dipper, she was eager to help, and held her friends' best interests at heart.

The thought of Dipper was still heavy on her mind. There had to be a way to make things right, and though Wendy had briefly mentioned that Dipper was fine, the uncertainty in her voice was disconcerting. Maybe a phone call with Mabel would be a safer bet, less chance of her comments being taken out of context. A tap of a few buttons, and a few distant tones later, Mabel answered.

"Hey Mabel-"

"PACIFICA! I haven't heard from you in ages! You should come to the party this weekend!"

"What party?"

"The party at the Mystery Shack! Our Grunkle Stan wanted to celebrate a new exhibit at the Shack, and we convinced him to throw a party, since it's been so long since the last one. I was going to invite you later, but since you called, what do you say?"

"Well…"

"Come on, it'll be fun! Just like last year!"

Pacifica thought back to last year's party. She may have edged out Mabel's comparable karaoke skills, but not at a fair cost. Perhaps she'd find a way to make it up to her. She paused for a moment, before agreeing.

"Alright. I'll be there. What time?"

"Seven o'clock! This is going to be great!"

Mabel's excited voice resonated through the phone's speaker, leaving a ringing sensation in Pacifica's ears. The "party crown" she won that night sat in her closet, among a wide variety of fashionable clothes…and a pair of jeans and a jacket? That definitely wasn't hers.

The blonde teen carefully examined the clothes, searching through the pockets of the jacket for any clues. A loose piece of paper and a spare pen, marked with a few indentations near the end, as if someone had chewed on it. She unfolded the paper, to find a familiar sight of a disorganized array of signatures. It was the farewell letter to Dipper from the dusk of summer from so long ago.

* * *

A loud crackle echoed through the room. Briefly followed by a frantic voice, calling out his name. Dipper rubbed his eyes as he forced himself into consciousness. The walkie talkie sitting next to his bed was loudly broadcasting intermittent static mixed with Ford's voice, serious and concerned.

_"Dipper! Do you read me?"_

He sighed.

"Yes, great uncle Ford, what is it?"

_"Get to the bunker as soon as you can."_

Muttering under his breath, the tired mystery solver got out of bed, grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen, and hurried over to the bunker. Step by step, he made his way down inside, finding his great uncle. The man stood stiff, his hand on his holstered gun, as he looked side to side.

As Dipper approached, Ford raised his gun.

"Hold it. Sorry for the precautions Dipper, but I need to be certain."

"Certain? What for?"

"You and your friends didn't happen to see the shapeshifter down here, did you?"

Dipper's groggy mind finally started to make some sense of the situation. A cold shiver ran down his spine.

"Yeah we did. We trapped it in a cryogenic chamber though."

Dipper saw his great uncle's face tighten, his grip on the gun intensified.

"That's the same thing that I did before I left."

A sudden realization dawned on Dipper. Mabel had mentioned that there was some sort of log detailing how the eccentric scientist had concluded that the shapeshifter was too dangerous, and had to be frozen. However, the same day they had entered the bunker, an empty can of food was found on the floor…outside the lab. His eyes widened in fear.

"Wait, so did he get out?"

The panic was starting to reach his voice.

"I can't be too sure. I checked the lab this morning, and there was no sign of it, in any of the chambers."

Dipper stepped forward, before Ford raised his gun again.

"Hold on. Before this gets too far, I need to make sure you're not the shapeshifter."

Dipper swallowed. The shapeshifter was definitely dangerously capable.

"Just answer a simple question."

He nodded.

"What's the easiest way to deal with a ghost?"

The boy smiled at the question.

"Category one or category ten?"

Ford chuckled to himself.

"Alright, you pass."

Dipper hesitated for a moment, before replying:

"Hey great uncle Ford? Just in case…what was the advice for getting rid of a category one?"

Ford paused for a moment, before realizing. Years later, yet still abiding by his own words. _Trust no one._

"Anointed water."

Dipper nodded, as the pair stepped through the access room into the lab. The scene in front of them represented much of the same dilapidated, deteriorating control room that he remembered from a year before. Lights hanging from the ceiling were struggling to resist the charms of gravity. Shattered cryogenic chambers and puddles of water made up most of the cavern. The lights buzzed with electricity, some flickering intermittently.

A shadow briefly leaped past, before one of the flickering lights gave way and collapsed onto the ground. Both Ford and Dipper grew tense, the former reached for his gun once more. A small draft rocked the leftover debris of the lab, raising the tension further.

Within a moment's notice, it struck, pinning the older of the pair to the ground. Ford struggled against the grip of the fiend, as the menace shifted into its true, horrifying self. He fumbled for his gun, tucked inside his coat, but the shapeshifter kept his arms pinned to the ground. Dipper stood a few feet away, watching helplessly as great uncle grimaced, face to face with the creature he had been researching.

Suddenly, darkness filled the room, followed by a loud shriek. The shapeshifter accidentally collapsed one of the remaining ceiling lights. A buzz of electricity fizzled out, leaving only the dim illumination of the control room and random equipment lights.

"Great uncle Ford? Are you there?" Dipper called out, while fumbling for his flashlight.

A defeated groan emitted from beside him.

"I don't remember what I was thinking when I designed this lab…"

The pair shared a quick chuckle, before reassessing the situation.

"We need to make sure it doesn't flee the bunker, who knows what havoc it could wreak on the surface!"

Dipper nodded, and quickened his pace towards the control room. Before he could reach the decontamination room, Ford blocked his path. _Or was it the shapeshifter? What if Ford was the shapeshifter? The shapeshifter never turned into Ford before, despite having seen him in their earlier encounters!_ Dipper felt his heart rate accelerate, and his mind stopped listening to his surroundings.

The next thing he realized; he was being shaken strongly out of his anxiety. His great uncle stared into his eyes, greatly concerned. It was all too familiar to him. Maybe even reminiscent of his fears before hiding his journals, over thirty years ago. Grabbing his great nephew's hand, he pulled him out of the bunker into the sunlight. If there wasn't a concern about Dipper's health before, there was more than a grain of doubt now.

* * *

Dipper relaxed on his bed, sipping a cup of tea to try and soothe his nerves. Trying to keep his mind off of more dark matters, he revisited his own journal, looking through the pages. Before he could get through more than a page, a knock on the door resounded, followed by a friendly face sticking through the doorway. Grunkle Stan's expression was as discontent as normal, if slightly softer.

"Hey kid, old Sixer's told me you've been having some trouble lately?"

He nodded in response, not one to elaborate.

"Relax, my brother has dragged us all through some tough times. But as much as I enjoy others in pain and misery, you're still family. Come on, let me show you something."

Dipper followed him outside, to be met with the familiar red shine of his Grunkle's car. He was about to get in the back seat, when Grunkle Stan halted him.

"How about we mix it up a bit? Get in the driver's seat."

Dipper froze for a bit, and started to protest.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"You want to learn to drive before your sister does, or what? _Not man enough?_"

Grunkle Stan smirked, seeing Dipper's determination grow. The young boy eagerly sat down in the driver's seat, reveling at being at the wheel of an automobile.

"So…how different from a golf cart is it, exactly?"

Dipper reached for his journal, about to write down the minute details.

"You don't need a journal to remember all this, jeez. If an old man can remember it, I'm sure you'll do fine. Just remember that the gas pedal is the only pedal you need! Works great for outrunning the cops, tax collectors, rent collectors, and toll collectors! Can't force me to pay for crossing a bridge if I'm already halfway across it. Whose idea was it anyway, to force me to pay taxes and build a bridge, then charge me more money to cross that bridge? That kind of scam should be left to the professionals, namely me."

Dipper decided that his grunkle's advice wouldn't be of much use, but the opportunity was too special to pass up. He gently pressed on the gas pedal, willing the car to move forward. Within a few moments, he figured out how much force he needed to apply to engage the car in movement. Grunkle Stan didn't look too excited though.

"Is that how you're planning on driving around? You wouldn't even beat me walking down the street at this pace!"

The underage driver let out a slight groan at Stan's comment, but decided to pick up the pace. Flooring the accelerator, the engine roared and the car started moving faster. Stan smiled, seeing the concentration on Dipper's face.

"That's more like it! Drive it like you stole it!"

The comment seemed like it might have more truth than humor in it, but Dipper was too focused on staring ahead. The dirt road leading to the Shack was about to meet the main road, and he started braking slowly. The car barely slowed, so he applied more pressure. Suddenly, the brakes locked, and the car lurched forward.

"Woah, watch it kid! This car's an antique, don't scratch it." Grunkle Stan's smile faded for a moment, watching out for his car's safety. "I told you, only use the gas pedal…"

Grumbling to himself, Grunkle Stan grabbed the arm rest. He glanced sideways, noticing Dipper's forehead starting to glisten with sweat.

"Had enough already kid? Or are you ready to take a spin on some real roads?"

"Which one of these is the turn signal?"

Grunkle Stan let out a hearty chuckle, before replying gruffly.

"If the rich crackhead drivers in their fancy sports cars don't feel compelled to spend the effort to reach for their turn signal, you don't need to either."

Grinding his teeth, Dipper accelerated. The tires spun, before catching. The self-proclaimed _Stanleymobile_ swiftly cornered, and raced down the now paved road.


	14. Illusion

"That's totally unfair! Why does Dipper get to learn how to drive and I don't? What kind of dictatorship is this?" Mabel's morning outburst was in jest, with just a touch of jealousy. Dipper grinned tiredly.

"Might be because I'm more mature…" he said slyly.

"Nah that can't be it. Just because you hang out with fancy pants Grunkle Ford doesn't make you any more mature than me, stickers specialist Mabel! Besides, driving is all grownup stuff, I can live without it."

Mabel blew a raspberry, yet Dipper laughed at her denial, but didn't press further. He had started sleeping better and did not feel like his eyes would fall out of their sockets each time he woke up. His sleep schedule was still sporadic, but at least it had somewhat of a rhythm now. Things didn't look as bleak as they did before.

"Dipper! Can someone find the kid for me? I need his help with carrying some crates of merchandise into the gift shop." Grunkle Stan's unmistakable voice carried through to the attic. Perhaps this day wouldn't be that great after all. With a slight sigh, the kid in question reluctantly strode down the stairs.

* * *

_The sun felt warm against her pale, white skin. She opened her eyes, and brushed the blond strands of hair from her face. Her bare feet were covered in sand, up to her ankles. Looking down, she found herself in a light blue skirt, and a teal colored shirt. Looking around, the beach was filled with dozens of forgettable faces, light and dark colored alike. The beach underneath her feet extended towards a lake, filled with the flat calm of paradise reflected. The small imperfections were barely noticeable. However, among the water, a ray of light shinned brightly. The peacefulness of the light green shaded water betrayed a dark secret…_

Pacifica felt her breathing slow down, as she regained consciousness. Her heart raced; her body felt overwhelmed. If dreams were really her subconscious trying to tell her something, she wasn't ready to listen. After shaking herself out of her stupor, Pacifica got up.

Later that evening, Mabel's promise of a party came true. All hands were on deck, as all the employees of the _Mystery Shack_ were hard at work – setting up lights, posters, ticket booths, signs, and concessions.

"Hey dudes, you think Mr. Pines will let me be the DJ again?" Soos' excited voice broke the monotony of the ongoing labor.

"Pfft, of course he will! Who else would he hire, me? Dipper?" Wendy joked.

Soos concentrated for a moment, concerned that his assumption might not have been as forgone as he expected-

"Relax man, I'm just messing with you Soos," Wendy interrupted his thoughts. Soon enough, everyone was enjoying a good-natured laugh at his expense.

Dipper, for his part, was busy adding decorations to the front room. Granted, his mind was somewhere else, but he was looked productive whenever Grunkle Stan looked his way. As soon as the threat passed, Dipper took his journal out of his pocket, and grabbed a pen. He resumed where he left off, writing intently about different conspiracies going through his head.

As the time of the party rolled around, townsfolk started trickling in. Among them, well known daughter of the supposed town founder, Pacifica Northwest. It was a strange experience, returning back to a place she hadn't stepped foot in since the previous summer. A lot had changed, but for all the new exhibits and renovations by the new owner, the prices were still being gladly overcharged by the one and only, Stan Pines. The man always seemed to have made a business of relieving people of their hard-earned cash. He stood at the door in his suit and tie, his eyes glancing over the wads of cash being thrown at him to enter the self-proclaimed "biggest and greatest party in Gravity Falls". In Stan's defense, the Northwests no longer had a yacht, so their proclamation would go unrivaled.

Surrendering her money at the door, the blonde found herself in the familiar home of the Pines. A large room emptied out for the occasion, filled with eager townsfolk partying and dancing away, without another care in the world. It felt nice, even for a moment, to reminisce on how that could have felt. Picking up a cup of soda, Pacifica strayed to the outside of the partying circle, which was gravitating towards the dancefloor. She eyed her surroundings, looking for anyone familiar, when…

"Pacifica!" A familiar, shrill voice called out. She felt the familiar embrace of Mabel, perhaps a bit stronger of a reaction than she would have preferred.

"Hey Mabel," she managed, trying to free herself from Mabel's grasp.

"I'm so glad you made it! It's great that all my friends could come!" From Mabel's back, the silhouettes of Grenda and Candy waved. Pacifica eyed them slightly, but then swiftly averted her gaze back to Mabel.

"Wouldn't be a true party until I showed up," she said, with a familiar air of self-assuredness. Mabel knew that was just her form of sarcasm. "Anyway…" Pacifica's voice quieted. "What's Dipper been up to?"

Mabel laughed, but her laughter seemed to lack her normal genuineness.

"He said he's not in the mood for parties and went for a walk outside instead."

Pacifica frowned, but quickly recollected herself. She smiled and laughed along with Mabel. After chatting with them for a few minutes, she stepped away to get a drink, and slipped outside into the evening air.

She made her way through the woods, illuminated by the moonlight. Being far from a large city, it was remarkable how beautiful the stars were, undiminished by city lights and cars. A soft breeze rocked the surrounding trees, rustling some of the leaves free. As Pacifica made her way through the woods, she came to a clearing overlooking the town, truly highlighting the contrast of a bustling city and a cozy town. The streets were peaceful and quiet, lazily lit by yellow streetlamps. Reaching the middle of the clearing, she climbed a small hill, almost a perfect mound in the center of an otherwise remarkable flat clearing, covered in luscious green grass. Seated perfectly in the center was a young boy, dressed in a blue vest and red shirt, cargo pants, and a blue and white hat. His face was turned away from her, and he didn't make a move as she approached him quietly. Getting closer, she wanted to reach out to him, but before she could…

A whizzing buzz briefly sounded – a bullet striking the boy right in the center of his back. A moment passed since the impact, before he slumped over. Pacifica cried out into the night, but no one responded. Only the breeze rustling the nearby tree branches could be heard. Grabbing his shoulders, Pacifica looked down at Dipper, hoping to hear him say something reassuring…before she looked into his eyes, and saw the first signs of something amiss.

His eyes were wide, and completely blank. His pupils were nowhere to be seen. Pacifica's heart dropped, she pushed him away and stumbled backwards. The wound from the shot was now bleeding out a strange glowing liquid, instead of normal blood. She could only watch in horror, as the creature before her presumably died. Cold sweat dripped down her spine, she was shivering from the fear and adrenaline.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Low, quiet, hurried. A man wearing a trench coat, carrying a large case appeared, wearing large goggles and a scarf.

"Move away from it!" His voice was familiar, but frantic. "It's not who you think it is."

The teen girl made her way to the owner of the voice, safe but shaken. The recognizable face of Stanford Pines revealed itself from under the goggles.

"W-what happened?" she managed, in a scared tone.

"Shapeshifter," he replied in an expressionless tone. "It got out of containment and tried to trick you. I didn't want to take any chances."

Pacifica responded in silence, continuously staring at the lifeless form of the Dipper look-alike.

"So…what happened to him?"

"That's not Dipper," Ford reiterated. "It's a shapeshifter masquerading as him. Dipper's probably safe."

"Where?"

The scientist paused for a moment, hesitating. "He asked me not to tell anyone, he didn't want to get dragged into some party by his sister…" he looked at Pacifica's soft, watery eyes. "...though I suppose pointing out his general direction wouldn't hurt."

Ford pointed towards the horizon, indicating where he last saw his great nephew.

"You sure you're going to be alright?" he asked Pacifica, softly.

She nodded, though part of her wasn't so sure. Ford preoccupied himself with his new prize, the corpse of the Shapeshifter. Having done his due diligence to save Pacifica, he could now finally take the remains back to his bunker for further investigation.

In the meantime, Pacifica was covered in dirt and grass from her encounter, and her thoughts brought her back to the times of last summer, reminded by seeing Ford again, as well as encountering the horrifying Shapeshifter. Reminded again of how she had been reduced to wearing torn clothing, huddling inside a small, rundown shack, bunched together with whoever else was left in the town alive. It scared her, to know that Gravity Falls, for all of its mystical wonders, could be home to the dark matters of her deepest nightmares.


	15. Confrontation

**A/N:** Full disclaimer, this chapter also references self-harm, but not to the extent of chapter eleven. If you do not feel comfortable reading it, please skip to the next chapter or stop reading here. Like last time, I will cover all the necessary bits of the storyline in the next chapter.

Having followed the direction indicated, Pacifica found herself lost. The lush, green forest expanded across the horizon, easily engulfing anyone who walked through it. Before long, she found herself lost along a potentially hazardous path, in a foreign neck of the woods, surrounded by the mystical reality of Gravity Falls. She glanced back and forth, expecting a wild creature to leap out, but nothing happened. Whichever direction she looked at, it felt like her shadow was watching her.

The stars bore the only witness to her trek, as the path wound up and through the woods towards a warehouse perched on the hillside. Seemed like a strange place to find Dipper, but then again, a lot of things about him were strange…his fascination with the paranormal, his eagerness for new knowledge, his dark brown hair and lean figure…

Pacifica rubbed her eyes. Her thoughts were starting to get away from her. Her feet felt a small pang of pain each step, and her clothes were covered in grass and dirt from her earlier encounter. She called Dipper's name out, without expecting much of a response, until she heard footsteps approaching.

"Dipper?"

Pacifica felt her heart beat faster and faster, until…

"Pacifica?"

The boy in question appeared out of the woods. He was wearing cargo pants and a long-sleeved shirt, with his blue vest over the top. One of his sleeves was rolled up. His brown hair was concealed by the lumberjack hat, an everlasting reminder to Pacifica that Dipper's love life was a complicated mystery. The good news was that this Dipper seemed genuine, contrary to the shapeshifter.

"What are you doing out here?"

His voice seemed tired, slightly surprised, but still sincere.

"I was just taking my normal evening stroll right past here and decided to call out your name at random to summon you out of your weirdness," Pacifica replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. She paused for a reaction, but Dipper didn't laugh. She sighed. "Of course, I was searching for you, dummy."

Dipper looked at her with a trace of suspicion.

"Did Mabel send you to look for me?"

"What? No! What made you even think that?"

"Well why else would you be looking for me? As far as I can tell-"

"No, Mabel didn't send me, I was looking for you myself. In fact, I ran into something that looked just like you."

"Oh? What was it?"

"It's dead."

Pacifica looked for any sign of emotion in his face, but surprisingly didn't notice any. Did it not bother him?

"Oh, huh. Did you figure out what it was?"

"Um, I think your uncle said it was a shapeshifter? I don't know, but it was gross. Ruined my clothes too."

Dipper recalled his last encounter with the shapeshifter, in Ford's bunker. Definitely didn't regret hearing that the creature was dead. At least that strain of memories could be a bit less stressful.

"I'm guessing he told you where to find me then?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

The two teens sat down on the grass, looking out at the sky, trying to avoid staring at each other. Dipper raised his hand to massage the back of his neck, when he realized his mistake.

"Dipper?"

He felt Pacifica's tone change suddenly. If before she spoke with a sense of aloofness, now she seemed almost accusatory. He felt her eyes focus in on his right arm, right below the rolled-up sleeve.

"What did you do to your arm?"

Pacifica saw Dipper tense up immediately, and despite already knowing the answer, she wanted to hear his excuse.

"Uhm, it's nothing. Just…scratched up a little, that's all."

Pacifica's demeanor softened, shifting to a more pitying expression.

"This is why I was looking for you. I wanted to say that…" – she struggled with her emotions building up but continued – "…to say that I'm sorry for last time."

He looked into her eyes, and saw that for all of Pacifica's standoffish nature, she had a deeply emotional side she always tried to conceal. Her eyes glistened, as if she was holding back tears.

"That was my fault, I shouldn't have been so straightforward. I deserved it."

Deep down, Pacifica knew that Dipper wouldn't truly accept her apology. That's why she had avoided him for so long. It's been several weeks since they last talked face to face, and while her last conversation with him was engrained into her mind, Dipper had accepted his fate as sealed, and made no effort to reach out to her since.

"No, you didn't. It was wrong of me to slap you as I did, I didn't mean for you to…" – her voice faded significantly, as her gaze drifted to his arm again.

Dipper's expression went blank for a moment, until his mind jumped to a conclusion he hadn't considered before.

"You saw me, didn't you?"

It wasn't really a question, but Pacifica nodded. Dipper buried his head in his palms.

"Look, it wasn't because of you. It's…more complicated than that. Just, don't worry about it."

"'Don't worry about it?' You are slicing your own arm open, and you tell me not to worry about it?"

Dipper fell silent. His gaze wandered from his scarred skin to Pacifica's face. Looking into her deep, blue eyes. He felt like he somehow disappointed her. Her, Mabel, Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford…

"It doesn't matter," he replied finally, sounding thoroughly defeated.

"It does though! You can't just seriously expect that cutting yourself will solve anything."

That hurt a little bit. He frowned. Pacifica wasn't really the best at empathy, and given how her family was, he didn't blame her. Where Dipper could get caught up in the moment, Pacifica never really ever experienced empathy at all, her parents being as they were.

"I don't expect that."

"Then why?"

He looked away.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he replied solemnly.

They both fell silent, the tension between them remaining unresolved. Pacifica found herself looking at his arm, where the outlines of the cuts he made before remained exposed. It was unnerving, knowing that Dipper did it to himself. Before long, a thought came to her head.

"Does Mabel know?"

Dipper shook his head.

"No one knows, apart from you."

Pacifica paused for a moment.

"You should get some help, you know."

Dipper didn't respond. Pacifica sighed. This was going worse than she thought. Dipper barely talked to her and didn't want anything to do with her. Apologizing wasn't enough, and there wasn't much else she could do.

"Look, I'm sorry Dipper. I didn't mean to upset you or anything, I just worry about you. You're one of my closest friends, and as much as I hesitate to admit it, you're…kind of fun to be around, and I'd hate to lose you," she said.

Dipper finally looked up to meet her gaze. Sitting close next to him, Pacifica could see his reddened eyes, either from crying or lack of sleep, hard to judge. His hair was more ruffled than usual, though the lumberjack hat hid most of it. His hands were shaking.

"It's okay, I said it was my fault, and I meant it. I didn't mean to avoid you all this time, just haven't been in the mood to hang out with friends. I do really appreciate that you've changed a lot since last year, and you're doing your best."

He managed a small smile. She smiled back in return, enjoying his words of praise.

"You know, you could tell me what's bothering you."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Are you sure? I thought you'd be put off a bit by…you know…" – he gestured to his right arm.

"I've seen worse," she responded, grimacing briefly. Dipper stared at her for a moment, before making up his mind.

"No, it's alright. You don't need to worry about my problems, you have a lot of your own, and I don't need to add to them."

Pacifica wanted to protest, but was interrupted by a strange, unearthly sound.

"_Do you hear that?_" she whispered to Dipper.

"_Yeah, it's coming from behind those trees. Let's check it out._"

The pair quietly sneaked over to the tree line, expecting to find the source of the sound, but instead found something quite different.

"_We're almost there…_Wait, hold on. Don't move."

"_What do you mean?_"

"Pacifica, just hold still. It's—"

The two teenagers had come across a wild anomaly, left over from the events of the previous year. Before Dipper could finish his word of caution, Pacifica lost her footing and found herself being sucked in.

"Dipper! What is happening!?" she called out, trying to grab hold of anything she could reach.

"Just grab my hand!"

"I can't reach it!"

"Here, grab hold of my—"

At the last second, Pacifica grabbed Dipper's arm, sending both of them tumbling into the Multiverse.


	16. Into The Fire

**A/N:** For those who skipped chapter 15, here's a brief summary.  
Pacifica finds Dipper, and confronts him about his recent behavior, but he mostly deflects. The two engage in a brief dialog, before being caught off guard by an unraveling anomaly, and get caught in the Multiverse.

Preston Northwest reclined in his leather armchair, cup of tea in hand. He occasionally took a long sip from the cup but was mostly preoccupied with self-reflection.

When he purchased their new home, out of the necessity of losing their manor, the outgoing property owner treated him with almost a sense of pity. "_Who would dare pity a Northwest?"_ – the voice of his own father telling him the virtues of being a Northwest echoed in his mind. The magical name that carried with it the prestige and jealousy that anyone else could only dream of being in their position. What had it been reduced to? Sure, while losing the manor was not the end of the world, it was upsetting to come to terms that the Northwest name was upheld to such a high standard for so long, that now no one looked twice at them. A leader was only as good as the illusion of authority he could portray, and Preston Northwest's curtain of illusion fell that one faithful summer.

In the aftermath, being saddled with debt and a family in risk of ruin, he had tried to keep it all together. Lowering the wages of all his workers at all his companies for a slightly increased profit, attending more social gatherings to try and recover his public image, and committing to a marriage counselor to try and work things out. All hard work, with little gain.

After being lost in thought for some time, Preston poured himself a glass of wine, and felt the cold, liberating drink touch his lips. It felt wrong to indulge, but sometimes, what's the point?

* * *

The Multiverse – a seemingly endless, indefinitely petrifying place, full of the untold magic and horrors that few mortals have ever had the displeasure of witnessing. Dipper found himself lying on the ground, covered in dust. Glancing around his surroundings, he found it hard to make anything out.

_"What's up ole' pall?"_

Dipper jumped in surprise.

"…Bill?"

A menacing cackle echoed in all directions. He looked behind him, only to see dense, red fog, slowly enveloping him.

"What is happening?"

"You'll soon find out…_Dipper!_"

_Wait, 'Dipper'?_ Dipper's thoughts melted away quickly.

"Dipper! Wake up, snap out of it!"

Dipper found himself being shaken into consciousness by none other than Pacifica, who ended up on the ground beside him. It was all just a hallucination after all…except that they still were very much, not in the Gravity Falls they knew.

"…where…are we?" His voice was hoarse, but it seemed to relieve some of Pacifica's anxiety.

"About time you woke up."

Dipper stood up, and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain circulated inside his head, as if something was vibrating his brain inside his skull. _Great, a headache._

"How long was I out for?"

"A couple minutes."

The color was gone from her cheeks, but Dipper was too tired to notice. The teenagers were greeted with the grim outlook of what looked similar to Gravity Falls at first glance, but with disturbingly altered details.

"So, we're in the Multiverse."

"Can you stop saying 'multiverse' and tell me what happened?"

A crack of lightning flickered through the sky, casting a grim shadow on the landscape. Clouds flooded the horizon, turning dark and heavy.

"It's like a parallel universe, but multiple. Like, a potentially infinite number of other universes, which are possibly filled with anything."

"Um alright, but which one are we in then?"

"No idea, we'll have to figure that out for ourselves."

Thunder shook the ground briefly, echoing loudly through the valley. The heavens opened up, letting loose large droplets of…

"Wait, is it raining…?"

Dipper held out his palm for a moment.

"Yep, it's raining blood alright."

Pacifica glanced at Dipper incredulously but held back further comments. The pair began walking, seemingly without any clear purpose, until she was struck with a sickening thought. The cold and barren streets, the rain, the absence of any people…and now, a white glow, guiding the way to _The Mystery Shack_.

"Uh Dipper? Maybe we should go somewhere else…"

"Somewhere else? Face it Pacifica, the Shack is probably safer than your house at this point, if it even exists in this universe."

She swallowed hard, trying not to look scared. The white glow seemed to grow brighter and brighter as they got closer. Suddenly, a loud engine noise briefly interrupted the thunderstorm. A distant looking monoplane with propellers broke through the clouds, making a pass over the town. The drone from its engines was a brief interruption from the growling thunder. However, the brief hope at the sight of humanity's existence was short-lived, as the aircraft suddenly exploded into a huge fireball.

Dipper's eyes widened at the sight.

"…we should really get moving."

His voice was tense, perhaps overwhelmingly so. Pacifica quietly followed him down the gravel road, leading straight to the pits of her worst nightmares. The wind whistled through the streets behind their backs, as loose trash and rubble was scattered across the ground. Dipper's hands were in his pockets, shoulders hunched over. Subconsciously he grabbed his pocketknife and weighed it in his hand.

Making their way up to the front porch, the pair tensely gathered their wits at the front door. There was no easy way of telling what would be beyond this door, but they had few cards left to play. They looked at each other knowingly and nodded. Dipper slowly opened the front door, which creaked loudly. Reluctantly making his way inside, he felt a quickening sense of uneasiness.

Glancing around him in a panic, Dipper found himself alone inside the house, the door behind himself shut closed. He wanted to call out, but his voice was too hoarse to do so. The inside was dark, and unbearably quiet. He took a step forward and felt the creaking of the floorboard echo through the empty house. A chill ran down his spine, he half expected someone to jump out from behind somewhere. Pacifica was nowhere to be seen.

A whisper echoed from the corner of the room. A whisper low enough to almost be mistaken for a gust of wind. Dipper turned around to come face to face with a dark figure, tall in stature, completely hidden in darkness besides a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Dipper could feel the cold sweat down his spine as he opened his mouth to cry out. The shadowy figure watched, as it became more and more distant. Dipper found himself backing away from where he saw _it_ and inched towards the front door. He tried, unsuccessfully, to force the door open, but it wouldn't budge.

Quickly changing tactics, he ran towards the vending machine. Blood rain pattered on the roof overhead, muffling the sound of footsteps creeping towards him. Dipper was moments away from finishing typing out the password when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped and let out a quiet yelp.

"Shh, it's me, Pacifica," she spoke in a hushed tone. She looked into his wide, brown eyes, and brushed his hair from his forehead, smiling mischievously. His birthmark seemed to attract her attention, as her eyes focused on it. Her mouth curled into a snarl, as she started to laugh. Her laugher bellowed through the house, as if Dipper's birthmark was the funniest attraction a circus could've ever provided. Something was terribly off, but in his tired state, Dipper panicked.

His face paled, but he rushed through entering the rest of the combination to the vending machine, brushing off Pacifica's hands. The dark corridor leading to the elevator was exceedingly grim, a low-pitched whine hummed louder and louder as Dipper approached the call button. As the elevator whirred to life, a shadow appeared in the doorway behind him. Sensing he was in trouble, Dipper pressed the call button several more times, until a chime signaled the elevator's doors were about to open. Glancing over his shoulder, Dipper caught a glimpse of the figure behind him, and swallowed. He hurried into the elevator.

"Fancy seeing you here, Pine Tree!"

Turned out the elevator was already occupied. Dipper had walked out of a frying pan, and into the fire. For the next few seconds, he experienced the most agonizing feeling possible, being backed into a corner of no escape from the creature he long believed and convinced himself he escaped from. Bill Cipher's being seemed to fill the already cramped elevator, his expression locked in a self-satisfied grin. The more he grew in size, the less space there was left for Dipper to back away from him. The long-awaited mechanical whir of the elevator door opening seemed like the answer to an unsaid prayer, the young teen forced himself to bolt out of the chamber of evil, and into the underground lab.

Standing in the dead center, a circular portal, surrounded by a blue aura. Electricity buzzed through the air. It was hard to judge where this portal would go, it definitely wasn't the same portal as Ford had built many years ago. Left with no other options, Dipper glanced behind him one last time, and jumped into the portal.


End file.
